An Angel Attacking
by redfeatherz
Summary: You don't always have to be good or evil. What if an ancient being with no name, no side, and a ton of power decides to join the war? Will she stick to her temporary alliance, or does she have other plans for Alagaësia? read and review plz. CH 9 UP!
1. Chapter 1

_I'll keep dreamin'_

_Not another word sweetheart_

_Nothing is perfect_

_But it has to be someday_

_So I'll keep dreamin'_

**((first chapter!! Hope you like it, sorry that it's kinda- no, really short. And if ur gonna constructive criticize, plz do, but be nice about it! The other chapters will be in first person, probably. Something else I was going to put here… -stares blankly at computer- whatever. Just read and review plz. THAT MEANS YOU, SLACKERS! –runs off into the woods with a butterfly net-))**

**Prologue**

Murtagh reclined against his great red dragon, Thorn. He was reading some book covered with complex symbols, intrigued with it. Thorn was busily cleaning a claw, yanking out a few stray rocks. Suddenly, Murtagh paused, his face going blank.

He thought he heard a slight sound, a scuffle. He conversed silently with Thorn for a moment, then returned to his book. But still, the uneasiness stayed. Murtagh shifted restlessly, but didn't look up. Then he jerked. There was definitely the tiniest sound just outside the closed door.

"Fraigia, I know you're out there. What do you want now?" he called, still reading his book, but with less intensity. His voice sounded bored, but the tight cords in his neck betrayed his tension. Still, there was silence. A frown creased his mouth and he finally glanced up.

"Fraigia? Come out, don't play games. I'm busy with my studies, it had better be for good reason if you're to disturb me," he called again, letting a slight sharp edge enter his voice. Nothing happened, save for the faintest of thumps that his ears barely registered.

Sighing, he stood up. He strode slowly over to the door and twisted the handle.

"What now Fra-."

The door opened. A dark blur shot into the room.

Silence descended.


	2. Arget blodh

_To buy the truth,_

_And sell a lie,_

_The last mistake,_

_Before you die,_

_So don't forget,_

_To breathe tonight,_

_Tonight's the last,_

_So say_

_**GOODBYE**_

**((Thanks to:**

**Snowdragon1911**

**teenchic2004))**

**((alright, here's the first chappie. Bon appetite! Don't forget to review! Or else! –crocodile grins-))**

I glanced up and down the corridor, a demonic grin parting my angular features. I look like an elf, but I'm not exactly an elf.

I don't really know what I was, truthfully. I'm like an elf, but I'm a tad stronger, a bit smarter, slightly faster, and more… malevolent, if you please. It's not that I'm really evil, I just am more… logical, I guess. Less morals, more logic.

My eyes are gold, but darken to black or turn catlike when I'm feeling extreme emotion. My hair is longish gold-brown that seems a deep red in the right light. I'm average height, but I still look kind of like an assassin or a warrior. I had a black shawl on with a hood pulled over my face. Dark pants clothed my legs, and I had thin sandals of my own construction on my feet. They were only two thin layers of soft leather; one on the balls of my feet and one on my heels. Thin leather straps held them around my foot, and a small leather strap went between my big toe and the others. A silver pendant on a black cord hung from my neck, the center etched in an eye. The iris was currently a deep red, and it changed colors with my moods, another one of my inventions. I'm some hundred years old, but only look about fifteen. I'm obviously a girl. I can do things that elves can't, too.

More on that later.

Anyways, I was creeping down a hallway. A trio of guards who had suddenly become extremely sleepy was slouched near the wall on chairs. I tiptoed past them, and dragged the one in front of the door away from it so that it could open. It made a slight sound, and I snarled almost silently. I heard someone from inside the room speak.

"Fraigia, I know you're out there. What do you want now?" I let out a little purr/snarl of pleasure. Too simple. If he was smart, he would have cast out his mind to find out who it was. The moment this thought entered my head, I felt a tentative probe extending from the room, right on cue.

He said something else, but I was busily extending my consciousness to shield the sleeping minds of the guards. I stole their thoughts and projected them in their general area, so that the person in the room wouldn't suspect anything. I hid my mind behind the guards.

After the presence retreated, I released the soldier's minds. Then I heard footsteps coming towards the door fairly quickly. My ears picked up on every speck of dust shifting under the toes. I could gauge his weight, his age, his strength, his agility, and his grace just from the sound of his footsteps. I turned towards the door, my hands curling into claws, and two black something-or-other edges starting to slide through two slits in the back of my shawl.

"What now Fra-" he started.

He didn't even get one sentence out before I was upon him. Black, leathery, bat wings shot out from under my shawl. They were covered with silver veins, and I launched myself into the room.

I ripped off his belt, causing his sword to fall to the ground, useless. I used the belt to tie his hands and feet. Then, using a clump of cloth from his own shirt, I shoved it into his mouth to prevent him from causing noise. For good measure, I grabbed his neck and pinched a nerve, causing him to go unconscious.

This all happened in a split second.

As for Thorn, with Murtagh unconscious, I easily traced their connection and made him pass out.

Pausing, I surveyed the scene. Sleeping guards outside the door, unconscious rider and dragon trussed up with their own belongings.

I grinned. It looked perfect, but it was missing one thing. I easily picked up Murtagh with one hand and grabbed his arm with the gedwëy ignasia on it. Carefully, I snapped his arm, pressing on precise points. He jerked with each crack, and I dropped him to the ground. That particular break was a favorite of mine. It would take near a month to heal. I knew that everyone would know who did it when they saw the pattern on the bone.

It was three lines, connected so it looked like a circle divided into thirds, but without the circle. On the top line was line going at about a forty-five degree angle down to the left. A dot was on the other side of the line. On the bottom two lines, they had two lines going straight up connected to the ends. It was my mark I always put on my victims. It was a symbol from the ancient language, from back when they were symbols. The symbols were replaced by letters, and the symbols were lost.

This symbol said 'Arget blodh'.

**((yep. Another cliffie. I'll probably post again real soon, I don't feel well and have nothing to do. :( I hate being sick. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!! ****o yea, and I might change the title. I can't think of a good one... post ideas plz!))**


	3. Green Paint

_Hush little baby_

_Don't say a word_

_And never mind that noise you heard_

_It's just the beasts_

_Under your bed_

_In your closet_

_In your head_

**((alright, just two more reveiws? I know about u guys reading this and not reviewing. I'm gonna wait for four more reviews before I post the next chappie. Yes, I know that my char seems like a mary-sue, and might act a bit too modern, but she has faults. Trust me –crocodile grins-))**

_Eragon view thing_

_Eragon surveyed the scene unhappily. Even two days after the fight, there were dead and dying people strewn about. He was spending most of his time trying to heal others, putting off the task of healing Elva. Whenever Angela approached him, he would tell him that he had already used too much energy healing wounded soldiers, and he needed every scrap of his momentous power to reverse the curse. If he was to leave them and not heal them while he could, then they would die. At least, that's what he told himself and everyone else._

Eragon, you can't procrastinate anymore. Elva is miserable, you have to do this,_ Saphira murmured into his mind. Glumly, he nodded and started off towards Angela's tent._

_Once inside, he saw Angela sitting on a couch arm, stroking Elva who was lying on the couch. Elva was thrashing around, her scraggly hair damp with sweat. Angela looked up when Eragon entered._

"_Do you know what an idiot you are for not healing her before this battle?!? She's been in so much pain, I had to spike her water with herbs to make her go unconscious! Heal her, now, or I'll carve you apart and hang your skin on my wall!" she exploded. Eragon just nodded and walked quickly up to the couch._

_Taking a deep breath, he placed his gedwëy ignasia on her forehead, shivering when he felt the power pulsing through her dragon mark._

"_Atra du krasha eitha orum grovol." Let the curse leave this child._

_He felt his momentous energies begin to leave him and fuel the spell, getting more and more nervous as it left faster and faster. Saphira poured her powers into him, but even that wasn't enough. Velvet blackness enveloped him as he felt the child beneath his hand begin to stir._

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I glanced down at the unconscious rider, unaware that at the same instant I knocked him unconscious, his brother had passed out, too. I knew that his arm could be healed by magic, but it would be pretty difficult. _Magic_, I thought angrily. I couldn't do any magic other than the mental skills I had, no matter how hard I tried. I knew the ancient language very well, but I couldn't perform it.

Shrugging myself from my thoughts, I turned and left the room, carefully sensing for people. I was amazed at how there wasn't many people in the halls. I walked boredly around until I came to a heavily guarded door. A Lethrblaka stood with a group of spellcasters and a few soldiers. Curious, I reached into one of the soldier's minds, only to be blocked by a ward. Sighing, I knew that I had to find out what was in that room.

Drawing my sword silently, I smiled at the cruel blade. It was made of the blackest onyx in Alagaësia, and enhanced by elves. I wistfully remembered my stay with the elves. I had met with Eragon during the Blood-oath celebration, even dancing with him.

I had disguised myself and had goon blissfully mad, forgetting all purpose and life. When it was over, I had sung a song to him as he rode his dragon away.

Shaking my head, I blocked my mind and stepped around the corner. Instantly, the spellcasters became hostile, sending probes towards my mind, which I flicked away with a thought. The soldiers drew their swords and I smiled my crocodile smile. It was slow and almost feline, looking like a snake about to bite. One soldier radiated uncertainty, and I lashed out at him. Then I cursed.

I had forgotten about the wards from the magicians. Furiously, I dove into one's mind. He fought for a second, then I ruthlessly crushed his defenses. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed, dead before he hit the ground. I fought with the soldiers physically and the spellcasters mentally, and was doing pretty good. Not great, but I was holding my spot.

Then the Lethrblaka decided to join in

The first warning I had was when the spellcasters shouted, "Eyddr thriva onr!" Empty our ears! I swore loudly, spinning around to face the Lethrblaka. It opened its maw and screamed.

I swore again, resisting the urge to curl up in a ball and whimper. I whirled my sword at it, but a soldier was standing there suddenly. He blocked my slash, but his blow left his left flank unguarded. The spellcasters had loosed their wards on everyone because of the cost of repelling the Lethrblaka's scream.

I faked a slash at the same spot, but then twisted to cut his side wide open. Even with his years of training, he collapsed with a howl. But she was getting too weak. Ignoring the scream was taxing her strength, and she was already tired from fighting. She knew that Galboratorix was probably alerted, and he was on his way.

Drawing on her reserves of energy, she fought hard. There was only two soldiers and one spellcaster, plus the Lethrblaka. Luckily, the Lethrblaka didn't seem like one of the ancient, elite ones, and was content for the moment on just screaming. Which was enough on its own.

I parried a blow from one of the soldiers, using all of the force he put behind it to throw a punch at the soldier on my opposite side. His helm crumpled under the blow, and I winced as blood dripped down my fist. He cried out as blood started to pour from under the broken metal, then fell to the floor. Just as I did that, the remaining spellcaster began a long complicated spell that I recognized. Spinning a low kick at the last soldier to knock him to the ground, I charged the spellcaster. But I was a second too late.

Pain rent my body like nothing I had ever felt before. Fire in my bones, my blood, my flesh. In a last-ditch attempt, I swung my sword weakly at the magician. Suprisingly, it met its target, cutting his throat. The pain faded to just a dull throb. My whole body hurt. Then I remembered the Lethrblaka.

With a silent groan, I turned to meet my fate. Another surprise. It was flying down the corridor quickly, heading towards Murtagh's room. I knew that it would wake him up and come back.

I turned to face the door. It was thick and heavy, and locked. I slipped my blade into the keyhole and twisted it, wincing as my tender eardrums heard the dull screech of metal. The door swung open, and on the floor laid a golden-covered box. Tilting my head curiously, I stepped forwards, then backpedaled quickly. Not a gold-covered box, a _gold_ box. No doubt about it, nothing else had that freezing aura. It stung my wounds and made my head pound. I couldn't touch gold, especially not pure gold like this. I had no idea why, but I couldn't.

Pure silver helped repel the pain, but I didn't have much pure silver on me. Except for my sword sheath and hilt… I smiled.

I turned my sword so that I was holding the blade and the hilt was extended in front of me. I struck the box with the silver, seeing the satisfying dent. Pure gold was soft, and it being so expensive, it was doubtful that the box was very thick.

After about two more hits, my hilt ripped through the gold layer. Carefully, I peeled the gold off with the hilt and cast it into the corner of the room. I noticed that there was a dull thumping above me. Most likely the soldiers coming to kill me. I didn't have much time left.

Quickly, I hacked off the multiple locks on the box, curiosity driving me insane. It was another weakness I had. If I saw something mysterious or weird, then I had to find out what it was. It was impossible to turn away from a mystery.

I opened the box, and gasped. There was a green egg with white veins. Or was it a white egg with green veins? Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were green veins. No, it was green paint. That made me pause. Who on earth would bother to paint a dragon egg green? Shrugging, I stuffed it into my satchel.

Then I turned and ran. Speeding up, I began flapping my wings, giving myself an extra boost. When I had gotten going fast enough, I took off, flapping quickly through the halls, taking random turns where I didn't sense anyone. I med a small group of soldiers, but I was over their heads and out before they knew what was happening.

Eventually, after about a minute, I arrived in a huge room. There was a domed ceiling covered with majestic windows. I didn't see the floor, since a few hundred soldiers were standing on it. Some three hundred bows lifted. Some three hundred arrows pointed at me. But I was already smashing the glass ceiling and on my way to freedom. A stray arrow that must have been shot by a magician flew from the remains of the ceiling and stabbed deep into my leg. Crying out, I barely managed to keep flying. But I was out, with the last dragon egg in the world under my arm.

I flew for as long as I could, putting as much space between me and Urû'baen. Fatigue finally caught up with me. I had a gaping hole in my leg, had just fought off about four of Galboratorix's best magicians and five of his best soldiers. I hadn't fought the Lethrblaka, but had snuck into Murtagh's room and left my mark as an open challenge to the Empire. I wasn't exactly allies with the Varden and Surda, but they would accept me. They wouldn't trust me, but they would let me fight with them.

Glancing down, I saw I was above Furnost. I landed a trashy old barn and carefully inspected my leg. It looked like it had just about separated the calf muscles from the bone. I dug through my pack until I had four things lying out. I had a small pile of herbs that I carefully mixed with water and poured onto my wound, wincing and gasping. Then, I bound it from strips of cloth. The last object lying out was the dragon egg.

I poured water over it slowly, then used a remaining scrap of cloth to polish it. Just as I suspected; the dye came off, leaving black veins. I tried to remove those, but they seemed real. Sighing, I set it aside.

I ate a small meal of apples and carrots, since being at Ellesmera had destroyed my liking for meat, then curled up on a bale of hay, embracing sleep.

**((yup! Not much of a cliffie this time - be happy. I'm not going to post until I get at least four more reviews. Oui? So REVIEW!!))**


	4. Nameless one

_I'm the voice inside your head_

_You refuse to hear_

_I'm the face that you have to face_

_Mirrored in your stare_

_I'm what's left, I'm what's right_

_I'm the enemy_

_I'm the hand that will take you down_

_Bring you to your knees_

**((another chappie!! Yay! There's been some confusion about weather my char is evil or good. She's not really either. She just does whichever works best for her, regardless of the Empire and the Varden. She mostly ignores them, thinking their war to be little fights. Most consider her to be evil, though, cause that's usually what she does. She'd rather be evil than good. Good has too many rules, while being evil gets you whatever you want. So yea. And there has been some confusion about her name, too. I explain it in this chapter. And I might do something with the egg this chapter, too.**

**And thanks to:**

**AdriaDara**

**silver mystic storm**

**teenchic2004**

**padfootROX))**

_Eragon View_

_Eragon groaned. He blearily opened his eyes, wincing at the bright sunlight. Saphira stood protectively over him._

What happened?_ He asked her silently. She snorted._

You did it! Elva is a baby again, like she should be, and she doesn't seem to realize what she had gone through before. She doesn't remember it. She still can sense what people are thinking and such, but she's healed!_ Saphira hummed happily._

_Smiling weakly, Eragon pushed himself up off of the bed he was lying on. On the other side of the tent was Angela, cradling a toddler with a star on her head. He examined her for a moment, then slipped into her head._

_He found the soft blurriness of a toddler's mind, and only a few slight dreams of what had really happened. The child looked up at him and giggled, unaware of the misery she had suffered only hours ago._

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A slight crackling woke me up. I was sitting up, sword in hand before my eyes were even fully opened. I scanned the room, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Lying back down, I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Then the door opened quietly. I sensed two drunkards, stumbling in.

"Lookit! Sheems a fair laydee is hidin? Aww, mayn, she's a beaut!" one of them whispered. My teeth clenched, but I waited.

"Pshyea!" the other answered. "Hello, my fair maiden! We got bored at the party. Maybe you'd like to give us a little party here!"

I jerked up, a fake fearful look in my eyes. "Please… leave me alone. I- I don't want to harm you!" I squeaked in a fake voice. The men laughed and staggered closer. One reached out to me and I slapped his hand away.

"Aww, dun worry little bunny! We just want to pet you," he laughed, exposing yellow teeth and foul breath. He reached for me again. I kicked him in the place no male ever wants to be kicked, wincing as my leg with the hole in it twinged. He collapsed to his knees, wheezing and cursing. He growled, and nodded to the other man, who proceeded to grab my hands and hold them behind my back. It would have been all too easy to flip him over me and on top of his friend, but still I waited to make a move.

The man on the ground got up and petted my hair. I snapped at him with my teeth, just missing. I didn't want to taste his vile skin. He hollered incohertly, then slapped me across the face with a bang.

"Gawd dang it, scum! I oughta beat some sense into ya!" he roared. Pacing angrily, he noticed my bag. I had enough sense to bury my sword into the hay. Curiously, he grabbed it and tipped it upside-down. Out came my waterskin, a clump of herbal leaves, some cloth, a few pots and flint, and the dragon egg.

He stared at it blankly for a moment, then suddenly realized what it was. Surprise and shock played out across his face. He turned to me-

At which point I decided to make my move. I whipped out my wings and smashed them into the man holding my hands, sending him careening backwards. Even with my injury, I could easily best them. I grinned like a demon, and he seemed to notice my pointed teeth for the first time. I grabbed his arm and spun him around to crash into his friend, where they both lay winded in the hay, staring fearfully at me. Sauntering pleasantly over to the first man, I looked him straight in the eyes, then slapped him hard enough to feel his teeth come loose.

"Gawd dang it, scum!" I shouted at him, copying his tone earlier. "I told you to leave me alone. So what do you do? Shout at me and intend to violate me. Yes, I know exactly what you're thinking. Every. Vile. Thing." I said, just loud enough for him to hear, all the while tracing a claw down his jawbone. The second man let out a quiet sob, and I spun on him, clawing his face. Deep bloody furrows appeared on his cheek.

"Don't cry unless I give you something to cry about, filth!" I spat at him.

Suddenly I grew weary of torturing them. Turning my back on them and licking the blood off my clawed hands, I began to pack up my back again, and replaced my sword on my hip.

I left silently, resisting breaking their arms. I was challenging Galbatorix, but not leaving a trail for him.

I took off after I left the barn and put a bit more herbs on my leg, wincing at the sting. Flying helped keep my weight off it, so it didn't hurt as much anymore.

I flew low and fast, ignoring the cries of the few people who saw me, regretting my decision to leave the drunkards alive. Worse, I had shown them my wings and my mind abilities! What was I thinking?! News of my attack could be already on its way to Galbatorix, and he could be mounting another attack on Surda. My best chance was to get to Surda and join with the Varden for a little while. The mere idea of picking a side and making an alliance made me cringe.

I hated being on a side. There were way too many rules, especially with the Varden. They considered themselves to be good, so there was no killing people, no harming people, no scaring people, tons of junk like that. They thought it was wrong to kill people when they went ahead and killed tons of animals. Their minds work the same way as humans, some even better. They were all about 'doing what's best for the world'. Uh-huh. They call it 'the greater good'. I call it plain pigheadedness, or not-so-noble heroes.

I shoved it out of my mind for a while, thinking of everything and nothing at the same time, feeling great. When I do that, everything seems to come at me with sharp clarity. I could see every twig and pine needle below me, every rock and footprint. Everything seemed crisp, sharp, and icy. That's what I called that mode; Icy. When I was Icy, I could accomplish things that seemed impossible, feeling like the tiger that stalks the deer. Silent, powerful, dark, superior… just Icy. Nothing passed through my focus unnoticed, because I was focused on nothing.

It was what the elves taught on a polished stump in the forest, to see, hear, smell, feel, and taste nothing, therefore seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, and tasting everything. It's really complicated; you'd have to feel it to understand it.

After a short stretch, I was flying over Tiidosten Lake. Every so often I would dip down and rocket underwater for a few meters, then use only my wings to swim and rise back into the air. The freezing cold of the water made me feel more Icy, the water in my eyes working as magnifiers to enhance my already extreme vision.

Tiidosten finally receded into the distance behind me, becoming yet another stretch of land passed. I camped out in a sandy desert dune somewhere between Petrovya and Lithgow, proud of how much land I had passed over in only two days.

I poured more herbs on my leg injury, wishing that I could use magic. All it took would be a little _waise heill,_ and it wouldn't bother me anymore. Maybe I could get the Varden's rider to heal it for me, disguised as an ancient crone or something. It would be best to conceal the fact that I couldn't use magic from the Varden. All weaknesses were best hidden, even though I was going to ally with them. It would be temporary, then I would go back to stirring up trouble and watching battles with a cool drink and comfortable chair, egging on more violence and such.

I didn't enjoy killing animals, because they were wholly innocent. Humans were filthy creatures, corrupting the land and hurting out of cold blood. I didn't mind killing humans at all, unless it was a defenseless child. Killing elderly was okay, too, because they had been young once and had done the same things that the current age was doing.

I pulled out the dragon egg, running my sensitive fingers over it, wondering how long the poor dragon had laid there, surrounded by tight walls, waiting for the right person. It would be amazing if that person was me, but I highly doubted it. I was gifted enough already, being the only one of my race that I knew of. I didn't even know what race it was! I _was_ gifted, but lacked so many things that people took for granted… I didn't have a race, a companion, a positive future, even a name!

No, I don't have a name. Many don't know that I exist, only thinking of me as a fable and blaming the things I had done on the Ra'zac or Shades. Others only knew of me to be a dark shadow, lurking wherever misfortune went, causing mayhem for entertainment. Okay, the mayhem part was true, and I did enjoy going to where big things were happening, but the rest is false. The few people that knew what I was and knew of my existence were thought to be insane, or feared to even speak of me. Narrowing it down further, the ones that were known to be sane and told of me were ones in great power that feared me, avoiding me and not daring to disturb me. Galbatorix was one of these, but not for much longer if I continued to do things like, oh, say, attack his rider, steal his last dragon egg, join his enemies, assist his enemies, attack his people… I could go on, but those are from another tale.

I watched the egg for a while, mesmerized by the intricate patterns on its surface.

"I know how you feel, little one," I murmured to it, stroking the smooth surface. "The others of your kind gone or corrupt, and sitting inside your cell, waiting for one who will never come…" I trailed off, surprised to hear my voice breaking and a lump form in my throat. I licked away a tear, then eased into the gentle abyss of sleep, hiding from reality. The last thing I saw before I fell asleep was a vibrating line on the egg.

**((sorry, there isn't too much action, but the next chapter will have lots of excitement and stuff! I have a plan for the egg, and I betcha you won't expect whats going to happen! Check out my other stories if you like Maximum Ride or Twilight please, just updated The Disease! I have the next chappie half-done, and it might be short, but really good… review if you want it! I won't post until I get at least 4 more reviews, so press that marvelous button and send me your thoughts! **_**DON'T FORGET-**_** I really wanna change the title, so post ANY title ideas! The only dumb suggestion is the one not sent, so gimme some ideas! I'll tell you if I'm going to change it, and what I'm going to change it to so that you can find it. Au revoir! Au demain!))**


	5. Mind games

_We say_

_What we feel_

_Then we stop ourselves_

_And just walk away_

_Never looking back_

_Loving every second of it_

_We just walk away_

**((oO holy. moly. I am proud to have such devoted reviewers like you guys! It's only been a few hours since I posted, and there's four reviews!! –glomps reviewers- I love u guys so much! –starts crying- lol jk. This is the last post for tonight, but that doesn't mean that u guys get out of reviewing again! U can wait a while and let ur brains think for a little while, though. SO here it is! Take it home! Chew on it! Tastes delicious, let me tell ya.**

**HUGE thanks to:**

**silver mystic storm**

**First Gurl Rider**

**AdriaDara**

**padfootROX))**

I woke up peacefully. What a nice change, being able to wake up without a dagger at my throat or a couple of drunkards intending to rape me or a poisonous snake preparing to sink its fangs into my wrist or chains tying my wings, hands, and feet, or various other things that I don't need to elaborate on.

I watched the egg for a moment, searching it for signs of the strange shaking it had last night. Maybe there had been something under it moving, like a snake or something. It looked perfectly normal now.

Shrugging, I gave it one last look of longing, then stowed it safely in my pack. I ate a light breakfast of water and edible plant bits that I managed to find, then headed off. If I went fast, I might be able to make it to Dauth before sunset, where I had heard the rider was last seen. Of course, that had been almost a week ago, and I had been living in seclusion and sneaking around for that entire week, not being in contact with anyone in a friendly manner.

The day passed fairly quickly. It seemed like it had only been a few hours when I saw Dauth, only a few leagues away. The ground seemed to fold up, and I arrived in Dauth much earlier than I expected. I circled overhead for a moment, scoping the city out, then focused in on a large blue shape. Just as I expected, the dragon. Saphira crouched beside a tent, wisps of smoke trailing from her muzzle as she apparently talked with someone inside the tent. Further inspection revealed two sets of footprints leading into the tent.

I gauged the chances that Saphira would catch me before I got into the tent. Likely. Plus, then I'd have to get past Eragon and whoever was inside. Carefully, I extended my consciousness down to the tent, skirting around Eragon and Saphira. I felt my way down into the mystery person's mind. I found it completely unguarded, but he seemed to almost realize that I was there. Quickly, before he could figure out what was happening, I grabbed the information I wanted and returned to myself.

His name was Roran Garrowson, but most called him Stronghammer. I snickered at his noble pride of the foolish name. He was Eragon's cousin, but Eragon considered him a brother. Eragon's actual father was Morzan, so Murtagh is his brother.

Hold up! I took a minute to absorb this. Morzan had a second son? But then, it all made sense. Eragon was born when Selena disappeared. He inherited his father's skills with dragons and swordplay. Yes, this might well be true. Shrugging, I descended a ways off behind a large tent and carefully hid my wings under my tattered shawl. Sauntering up to Saphira, I smiled carefully, not showing my teeth. I braced myself for what I was going to allow.

"_Kvetha Fricai. Atra esterní ono thelduin"_ I murmured aloud, using the ancient language and elven gestures. Greetings friend. May good fortune rule over you.

_Kveth,_ Saphira whispered into my head, adopting the ancient language also. **((A/N- I'm going to use English now cause I don't have the complete ancient language, but they're still speaking it. I'll tell u when they're back to English.))**

_Are you an elf?_ She asked. I focused hard. This was more difficult than you could imagine. I had to lie in the ancient language, and it was the first time I allowed anyone to touch my mind in centuries.

_Yes. My name is Azalia; I am part of the elven company sent to your aid. I was the fastest, so I was sent ahead of them all. May I speak to Eragon?_ I intoned politely. The fake name is pronounced as-uh-lee-uh.

There was a pause as she communicated with Eragon. _Yes,_ she rumbled, stepping aside. Bowing, I pulled back the flap and walked in.

Eragon looked at me, slightly surprised by my appearance. Probably because I looked like a dark elf, not nearly as noble and kind. Then I saw slight confusion play out across his face. He might have continued staring at me rudely if I hadn't decided to stick my sword at his throat.

In an instant, I was behind him with my sword pressed against his neck. Roran swore loudly and reached for his hammer, and I heard Saphira bellow.

"None of that now, or I'll kill your friend here," I snarled, not bothering with the ancient language anymore. "I would like to make an alliance with you all, and the Varden. A temporary one. I don't like to pick a side, but I'm tired of boring old Galbatorix. And when the Empire falls, then it will be true mayhem. All of this fighting and loosing is getting old, I want something new and unpredictable. A nice rain of destruction upon Alagasia."

"Who are you?" Eragon asked quietly, not bothering to struggle. I sensed his probe he sent out and lashed out at it, watching him wince.

"No stalling either. I can tell what you're planning. No calling for help. I have no name, so you may call me Azalia. Ahh, I can see you've heard of me. _Arget blodh_? That's my work. Now, before you do anything rash, I want you all three to swear to cause no harm, direct or indirect, to me for two years unless I direct you to. In the ancient language, please," I purred. There was a long pause while he spoke with Saphira and Roran privately. I listened in slightly, but heard no plots. They talked about what to do and if they could escape, but they found no possible way. For the moment, they decided to work with me.

"_Eka weohnata néiat haina ono frey duwako guvia selnua ono donnegh eka eom haina ono_," he said in a sad voice. I will not harm you for two years unless you command me to harm you. I nodded, then turned to Roran. He stared at me with a blank look until I realized he didn't have any clue about the ancient language. Sighing, I turned back to Eragon.

"I need to borrow your mind for a moment," I asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking thoroughly confused. I sighed again. Dunderheads.

"I believe Saphira did the same thing to you once, but for a different purpose. Just… lower your defenses for a moment." Shrugging, he hesitantly allowed his mind to be unsheltered. As soon as he did, I thrust my power around his consciousness, pulling on it. He fought for a second, then reluctantly eased his barriers. I pulled it out and carefully moved it into Roran's mind. Roran looked scared, and backed up against the tent wall, his eyes scrunching tightly closed.

The next part took very delicate work, connecting the right information to Roran and transferring it, but still keeping it in Eragon's mind. I didn't want to give him my own store of the ancient language, since I still knew the ancient symbols and had more power over the words. If I gave him my knowledge, then he might get too much. It was tricky enough doing it with Eragon's stuff.

After a few moments of precise transferal, it was complete. I allowed Eragon to retreat again, and we all opened our eyes.

"_Travia ono,_ Azalia," he murmured, twisting his hand into the elven gesture. Thank you, Azalia. I had also given him information on elves, and shared with him much of Eragon's knowledge. I couldn't give him magic, but I did sense a bulge of power inside him. I wasn't sure if it was magic or not, since I don't have magic myself.

I nodded to him, and he said the oath. Saphira repeated it inside my mind. I smiled. Things were going exactly as planned.

"Now, I have important matters to discuss with you three, Nasuada, Orrin, Orik, and Arya. Come, we will go meet with them," I said, already walking out of the tent and casting out my mind to find them. They were already grouped together, and they threw up barriers as soon they realized that I wasn't Eragon. All of them, excluding Arya's, were fairly strong barriers and would most likely succeed in stopping anyone but an elf or me. Arya's defenses were iron-hard, sealing out all presences. I thought that if I fought hard enough, I might be able to break through, but I wasn't trying to invade their heads at the moment.

I turned towards the tent where their brains were at the moment, and threw open the flap, Saphira, Eragon, and Roran standing meekly behind me. Apparently, they had sensed a threat as soon as they felt my mind touch theirs. Nasuada had a dagger, Orrin a strange mechanism I figured he made, Orik an ax, and Arya an elegant sword.

All of them seemed to fade into the background when I saw Arya. Something familiar about her… I never remembered seeing her, but I felt like I knew her. Something, long buried and hidden, stirred inside me. Something burst through a hidden corner in my mind.

_A young elven girl laughed, chasing a pair of butterflies. Her raven hair spun around her as she twirled, trying to touch the beautiful little creatures. I reached out and grabbed her as she ran past me, and swung her around in the air. She giggled, looking at me with love in her eyes. "Help me catch the butterfies, s-,"_

"Who are you?" Arya demanded, breaking through the image in my head. The memory slipped out of my grasp and slithered back into the shadows in my mind. I wanted to roar in frustration. What on earth was that? Where had it come from? What was the little girl going to say? I knew that it was incredibly important. A horrible thought passed through my mind… What if someone had erased part of my past?

**((sorry it's a bit short, but I really wanted to get this in. I was going to keep going, but I'll save that for later. I didn't plan on adding this plot twist, but I decided to anyways. **_**THIS PLOT IDEA IS BORROWED FROM SYRENI'S STORY CALLED 'ELVEN SHADES'!!!**_** if you like my story, you'll love hers! But reading her story right now might give what I plan to do away… if you do figure out what's going on, then plz don't post it in a review or anything! Don't ruin it for others. If you want to chat about it or comment it, message me!**

**Also, I had to make up a few words from the ancient language. Part of their oath is made up. The words '**_frey' 'duwako' 'guvia' 'selnua' 'donnegh'_ **and**_ ' travia' _**are my own creations. The rest is all Paolini's work. Oh, here's the disclaimer;**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not –sob- own the setting, the original plot, or any of the characters but the ones I have created. I also don't own this new plot twist. The story and stuff is Christopher Paolini owns the first few things I listed, and Syreni owns the plot twist. –runs into a corner and cries-**

**Jk. I'd like around five more reviews, and I'll probably post again tomorrow or the next day. Thanksgiving break is coming up (- yayness!) so I'll hopefully get ahead then. Don't forget to review!))**


	6. Egg

_Jealousy, turning saints into the sea  
Swimming through sick lullabies  
Choking on your alibis  
But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eager eyes  
'Cause I'm Mr Brightside_

**((hey again! This chappie is kinda short, but it's worth it! Hope you like it, plz review. Yes, this is the second and last for tonight, I just had to post this cause its so short, and it's a reward for being such loyal reviewers! Wish my other stories had as good ppl as you guys… one of them I posted once a day, and was lucky to get a single review for each chapter. Darned slackers… plz review!))**

I stared at Arya blankly, confused and half-formed thoughts whirling through my head. I shook my head slightly, and suddenly felt my energy receding quickly. I had an idea of what was happening, but wasn't sure. I stood carefully, wobbling uncertainly. I stumbled forward a step, struggling not to collapse. They all took a cautious step back, not knowing what to expect. Taking a deep breath, I ignored the pain in my leg from the arrow and faced all of them, squaring my shoulders despite my sudden weakness. I would figure this out later; one slip now could ruin everything.

"I do not know who I am. You probably know me, but only in legend and not by name. None, including me, know my name. You may call me Azalia, though. I am here to form a temporary alliance with you all," I said hoarsely and quickly, using the ancient language again. I needed to get this all set up, and fast.

I spent a few moments explaining the same things I did to Eragon and Roran, telling them that they had make oaths of temporary alliance with me. I spoke of their pledges and told them that they had thought fit to work with me for a short while, so they should do the same.

One by one, they hesitantly agreed with me. I didn't need to make them swear to me, just agree with me.

"Also, I bring glorious news. I managed to infiltrate the Empire. I beat Murtagh and Thorn, severely injuring Murtagh. He will heal quickly, but it will still take a while, even with m-magic," I told them, stopping using the ancient language and grinding out the word 'magic.' The others ignored this, but Arya had a slight puzzled look. Once again, a flash of terrible recognition passed through me, but I couldn't place it. The realization slipped from my grasp, almost like I had been drugged. I shivered, wondering what else was wrong with me. I had managed to fight off the weakness from before, but it was lingering, threatening to overtake me again. Once again, I fought it off.

"Barzul! You hurt him? How?" Orik said, fingering his beard.

I continued to explain the entire series of events, from me sneaking upon the guards and putting them asleep to snapping Murtagh's arm. I kept the part about my wings hidden from them, though. Eragon, Arya, and Nasuada looked like they knew I left something out, but didn't comment on it. I stopped after breaking his arm, and they waited for the rest.

"I started to leave, but noticed a door that was thoroughly guarded. Curiosity bested me, and I decided to find out. A group of soldiers, spellcasters, and a Lethrblaka guarded the door. I struggled to beat them, and finally prevailed. Not without receiving a few minor injuries. The lethrblaka went to get Murtagh to help, because it was a young and lazy one. I went inside and looked in a box of pure gold. Inside was this," I said, pulling out the dragon egg. I had skipped the parts about my gold weakness and curiosity weakness, also.

They gaped at the egg.

"H-how… I thought the last egg was… green?" Eragon stammered. Grinning, I explained that it was paint.

"Why would someone bother to paint a dragon egg green?" Nasuada asked, eyeing the egg. I shrugged.

I reluctantly passed it to Roran, who was closest. I had grown connected to it, and didn't want to see it ferried around the countryside again. As soon as Roran touched the egg, it wobbled. Gasping, we both dropped it onto a chair. It stayed still for a moment, so we waited.

Our waiting was rewarded when a resounding crack rang out. The egg shook one last time, then froze.

The egg burst open, pelting us with sharp shards. I saw a cut appear on Arya's arm, a few on Eragon's stomach, and one on my forehead.

Through the blood dripping into my eyes, I saw the white dragon hatchling open its eyes for the first time.

The last dragon egg had chosen its rider.

_Roran._

**((yup - that's it for now! Review for the next chappie! And plz don't hurt me! –whimper-))**


	7. Egg part 2

_Do you live_

_Do you die_

_Do you bleed_

_For the fantasy_

_In your mind_

_Through your eyes_

_Do you see_

_It's the fantasy_

**((hey again!! Pretty proud of how much I've been posting… gosh, when the MR boards come back up, I'll have a few fanfictions all ready! Boy, the stories I'll tell… Any of you guys read Maximum Ride? I usually do fanfiction and RolePlays (mostly roleplays- gotta love 'em) on the Maximum Ride forums, not here. But they've been down for ages. Since summer… :( I miss my roleplay buddies… and I've already tried going to other roleplay sites, but they stink… and they're way to confusing and have not many roleplayers. Max ride had a ton of them, and we all were nice to each other. Plus, there's no rules on there. I even tried rp'ing on that neopets site, but I got kicked out because it was too violent: mwa ha ha ha… but there's no such thing as good action w/ out violence. And I was just being descriptive… dumb rules. Oh well, if you read all of that ranting, then I'm impressed. Give yourself a high five, since I can't.))**

Roran stared incredulously at the baby dragon. It was a beautiful creature, the purest white with thin black veins spidering all over it. Its wings reminded me of mine, but black on white instead. It glanced up at us all, keening pitifully. I wanted to touch it, stroke it.

King Orrin apparently wanted to do the same, as he reached out to pet it. Eragon, Arya, and I all jumped at him, pulling him back.

"No, don't! Roran has to be the first to touch it. Only the one it hatched for can touch it first, or things can be catastrophic," Eragon explained quickly when he cried out indignantly. Nasuada and Roran watched, looking amused.

"Oh…" he mumbled, straightening his clothes. We all turned to Roran. I was struggling not to charge out of there, ripping off a few heads on the way. I couldn't believe that I had gone through all of this mess, and even gotten a hole in my leg, to let an amazing dragon like this choose some random guy that had no clue about grammyre, and had just learned the ancient language from me stuffing it into his head. He was just some clueless guy that had depended on brute strength, stupidity, and luck to get all this way. He believed that it was because he was strong, brave, and smart. Fool.

He gazed at the dragon. I felt it's hunger and curiosity radiating from it.

"Well? Go ahead and get your gedwëy ignasia already. It's hungry," I grumbled, disappointment, fatigue, and feeling let down making me irritable. Eragon gave me a curious look.

"How do you know it's hungry?" he asked sharply. I shrugged.

"It's practically screaming it into the air. You can't feel it?" I asked, puzzled. He shook his head.

"Oh… it might be just because I use my mindcasting more, and have it more… honed to the air or something," I murmured defensively, shrugging again and turning back to Roran, trying to ignore Arya's face slowly sliding into fear, amazement, and slight shock. Something like realization passed across her features, then was hid again.

"Hey, wait…" she muttered, looking thoughtful. We paid her no heed and watched Roran carefully.

Roran blinked slowly, as if he expected it to disappear when he opened his eyes again. Finally, he seemed to realize that this was real. Grinning like a maniac, he reached for the dragon hatchling, jerking back a bit when it pulled away from his hand with a squeak of outrage. It cautiously let him touch it.

The results were catastrophic.

A pulse of heat blasted from the hatchling, slamming us all into the walls of the room. Numerous cries of shock sounded around me, but I only had ears for a soundless screech of pure rage. My vision flickered, then my eyes rolled back. I collapsed onto all fours, shaking and convulsing.

_Roran POV thing_

Roran heard a dull roar a split second before the eruption. A blast of heat rippled through the room, but it was concentrated on him. He heard nothing but the shouts of his companions as he was smashed violently into a wall. A sigh of breath escaped him before he passed out. The last thing he saw was the fire in the hatchling's eyes dying out as it turned to stare at Azalia.

_Arya POV thing_

Arya realized something was wrong as soon as Azalia had started telling them about what the hatchling was feeling. Even with enhanced mental abilities, nobody could hear a baby dragon's thoughts until the gedwëy ignasia was imprinted on its rider. This Azalia girl seemed odd, but it was impossible to sense a hatchling's mind unless she was the one it hatched for. Arya decided not to say anything, though. She might be right, and just have extra talent in mindcasting. Arya had tried to get into her mind, but didn't get anywhere. Impenetrable barriers surrounded it at all times.

At one point, Azalia had completely drifted when Arya asked who she was. She didn't respond, and Arya tried to touch her mind, but it was blocked. She asked again, and she seemed to snap out of it, even though Arya hadn't done anything. She was a strange specimen.

But the moment Roran touched the hatchling, Arya knew something was definitely amiss. Then the heat wave hit them, sending them flying into the walls. All was silent except for a few shouts of pain, then Arya slowly peeled herself off the wall, shaking the ash off her shirt. Then she noticed that Roran had passed out, and Azalia was thrashing on the floor. It looked like a seizure. Eragon was trying to hold her down.

"Help me! She's going to hurt herself!" he cried, looking stricken. Even with Arya's help, they needed Nasuada, Orrin, and Orik to keep her still.

"Something is not right in the world, Eragon," Arya whispered, shaking her head.

"Besides what's already messed up?" he said, a hint of black humor in his voice as he helped restrain Azalia.

**((sorry it's short, but I had to get this up, and I g2g. I'll probably post again Saturday, but not tomorrow or Friday. Plz type me a nice review!!))**


	8. Icy Shadows, Bloody Hands

_Has someone taken your faith?_

_Its real, the pain you feel_

_The life, the love_

_You die to heal_

_The hope that starts_

_The broken hearts_

_You trust, you must_

_Confess_

_Is someone getting the best_

_The best_

_The best_

_The best of you?_

**((alright, another chapter already! Wwoww, I'm impressed at myself… feeling pretty proud. Anywho, here it is! This is the last of the egg parts, probably. Time to move on to the bacon :D lol. I'm feeling silly right now. In a happy mood- only have one day of school left before thanksgiving break! Woo hoo! Lol. And it's probably time to explain the little quote italics things up above. Those are quotes from my fav songs. Here's a list of what songs they are. Listen to them sometime. Purevolume might have them, or listen to a little clip of them from iTunes. But sometimes the clip part is of a bad part in the song. Well, here's the list: **

**Ch. 1- **To Trixy and Reptile, Thanks for Everything** by Chiodos**

**Ch. 2- **A Modern Myth** by Thirty Seconds to Mars**

**Ch. 3- **Enter Sandman**, by Metallica**

**Ch. 4- **The Pretender** by Foo Fighters**

**Ch. 5- **Baby You Wouldn't Last a Minute Over the Creek** by Chiodos**

**Ch. 6- **Mr. Brightside** by The Killers**

**Ch. 7- **The Fantasy** by Thirty Seconds to Mars**

**Ch. 8- **Best of You** by Foo Fighters**

**That's all I have so far. If you don't like one of those, then I'm currently sticking my toung out at you and/or giving you a deluxe view of my middle finger if you don't like any of the Chiodos or Foo Fighters ones. Gotta love that heavy metal guitar. Yea, Chiodos is my definite favorite band right now. Try listening to **The Words 'Best Friend' Become Redefined** by them, too. It's such a random song- at first it's techno, then normal, then Justin Timberlake-ish for a sec, then Goth scream Heavy metal, then normal. It's actually a pretty good song, five stars. If you pick out the guitar, then your jaw will fall on the floor. They're wicked good. Their other songs have even better guitar. If you play, then try it. It's pretty fun to play some of them, challenging for others, then some of them can almost compare to **The Light that Blinds** by Shadows Fall. Ungodly.**

**Uber Thanks to:**

**cosmicfalcon**

**padfootROX**

**silver mystic storm**

**Oo long A/N… the story will be longer, though, don't worry. If you read all of that, then congrats. –gives medal-))**

I woke up, lying on something hard. My eyes opened painfully, and I winced at the light. I moaned and rolled over onto my stomach, wiping a trickle of blood from my mouth. Pushing myself up gingerly, I examined my surroundings.

I was in the tent where the dragon had hatched. I could tell from the scorched walls and egg shards. Coughing weakly, I managed to sit up and lean against the wall.

"Azalia!" Eragon exclaimed, striding in. "What on earth happened?" He reached out and helped me up. I tried to stand on my own for a moment, then reluctantly accepted his help. He wrapped my arm around his shoulders and his arm around mine, supporting half of my weight. I noticed that my hands were trembling slightly. We started hobbling out of the tent. The sun had set, and an almost full moon was hanging in the sky, bathing the plains in silver.

I smiled grimly. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Did any of you guys do the same thing?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Just as I expected, he shook his head. "No. Roran passed out, but none of us had a… seizure like you. What happened?" He asked again.

Shrugging slightly, I started to play dumb. "I-I'm not sure. Roran touched the hatchling, a heat pulse came out, and it gave me a seizure. Why did it only do it to me? And who screamed?" I said, adopting a puzzled expression.

"Nobody screamed. And about why it only happened to you, I haven't a clue. Well… I do…" he trailed off hesitantly. A slight suspicion slipped through me, bringing a trill of fear with it.

"What's your theory?" I asked urgently.

"It's not my theory. It's Arya's, actually. When you said you sensed the hatchling's thoughts, she suspected that the egg had hatched for _you,_ not Roran. Even with your… skills, it would be impossible to tell what a hatchling is feeling until the gedwëy ignasia is imprinted, or the person sensing the thoughts is the rider. The gedwëy ignasia clearly hadn't been placed yet, so that left you being the rider. After all, it takes a while for the egg to hatch. It was just unlucky that it hatched when it did. But we aren't sure until you get the gedwëy ignasia. I've never seen a non-rider touch the hatchling before it has imprinted, so that might have been why you had a seizure like that. And you are… different, from the rest of us, so that might be why it affected you like that. I hope that you are the rider, though. If we are stuck with a riderless dragon, then our situation will go from difficult to downright impossible. If you are the hatchling's rider, then that makes us cousins. This egg and Saphira's were from the same dragon. Thorn was from some other dragon."

I was silent for a moment as relief spread through me. I thought his theory would be that I had seizures normally. Which would be true. I could feel that I was going to have one as soon as the strange memory faded. The pulse must have been enough to break my concentration and allow the pain through.

We staggered over to another tent, where Saphira was guarding the entrance.

_Hello sister,_ she murmured into my head happily. Apparently, they were over my attack from earlier. That was better than I had expected. I though they were going to be hostile for much longer. Of course, they must be delighted that I brought them the last egg and a rider. I had restored all the hope they lost when Thorn hatched.

We entered the tent awkwardly, since everyone had stopped talking as soon as I walked in. Orrin was gone, along with Orik. Nasuada and Arya appeared to have been in a heated argument, and Roran looked like he was on Nasuada's side. They looked up at me, nodding a greeting. Roran came over and went on my other side, helping Eragon support me.

All of the past hour's events had leeched all of my energy; from the drunkards to the flight to fighting Eragon to transferring the ancient language to Roran to making them pledge to me. Then, the strange memory, the dragon egg hatching, the pulse, and the seizure. There was also the hole in my leg to take into account. The scabs had cracked, and I could feel blood running down my leg. It burned like fire. Roran and Eragon were holding all of my weight. It took all of my energy to just keep my head up.

"Where's the hatchling?" I said hoarsely, getting straight to the point. Roran looked a bit sullen at the mention of the hatchling, but Arya nodded over to a table in the corner. A white figure was curled up on it. Roran and Eragon helped me over and sit in a chair.

"How did you move it?" I asked, examining it but not touching it yet.

"We picked it up with cloth and carried it here. Hurry up and get the gedwëy ignasia. It needs to eat soon. Are you sure that you're ready for this? It hurts a lot to get it," he asked cautiously. I pondered for a second.

"No. I'm just about out of energy. May I borrow some of yours?" I asked, holding my hand out. He nodded, and I quickly transferred a chunk of his energy into me. Just enough to replenish me about a quarter way.

Glancing at the dragon again, I took a deep breath and touched its head before I could change my mind.

The moment I came in contact with the surprisingly hot scales, fire rushed up my arm and spread through my body. There was that soundless scream again, but it all faded into just background sound when another frustratingly familiar image filled my sight.

_Queen Islandi stared down coldly. The little Arya stood behind her, sobbing into her dress._

"_No mum, don't do that!" she sobbed, but Islandi just stroked her hair._

"_I'm sorry, but I'm doing this for you. She isn't normal," she murmured, half to herself. This just made Arya cry harder. I was seeing from the person Islandi was staring at's eyes, and I felt myself trembling. But it wasn't from fear. It was from rage. I saw myself lift a hand and point at Islandi._

"_Don't do this. I'm not going to lie and say it was a mistake, but I will tell you that I didn't mean it to be this way. If you would have listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't be in this position. Look at poor little Arya. Would you do this to her?" I heard myself whisper. Islandi shook her head._

"_No. You will be gone by nightfall, and this will all be forgotten. That's a promise," she said, an almost mad glint in her eyes. I reached out to Arya, and she stuck a tiny hand out to me. I noticed a wet substance on my fingers, and something swirling around my hand..._

_Islandi slapped my hand away, snarling. "Do not touch her! Abomination!" she hissed._

_The vision started to fade, but not before I realized what the darkness on my hand was. The darkness was shadows, writhing like living things all over my skin. Wherever it touched felt Icy. And the liquid? Blood._

The image ended when the pain did. I found myself slumped in my chair. I glanced at my palm, then did a double-take. I saw the gedwëy ignasia on my hand, but it wasn't that which had scared me.

For a moment, I saw black shadows swirling on my hand and red blood on my fingertips. I held onto the table in a vice-like grip, feeling every grain of wood.

I felt Icy.


	9. Frustration

_I'm gonna make you bend and break_

_Say a prayer but let the good times roll_

_In case God doesn't show_

_And I want these words to make things right_

_But it's the wrongs that make the words come to life_

**((alright, another chappie!! I didn't post one yesterday cause I was at a friends house playin GuitarHeroIII! I was a bit disappointed, it doesn't have the songs I thought it would, but battle mode is excellent! I sucked at it though, and had to play on hard instead of expert. Pretty bad, but it was fun! Then my sis and my brother started getting wild and poor ryan looked like he was going to fall asleep, and karlee and I just played GHIII and ignored them as much as we could with them kicking us. YA HEAR THIS JERICA? U WERE BEING ANNOYING!! Lol if you have the name jerica and ur upset about this, then im not talking to u, just to my sis. Anyway, here's the story!))**

I pushed back a shudder as I stared at my hand. There was no sign of the illusion I had seen a few seconds earlier, but I was still feeling Icy. It was creeping me out.

The dragon was emitting feelings of intense hunger. I was feeling very hungry myself. Turning back to Nasuada, I asked, "Is there any way I can get something to eat? No meat for me, but some for my dragon would be great." I fought back a whimper as I thought of food. How long had it been since I had last eaten? A day? With my metabolism (a word I had learned from elven scientists) I should be eating about twice the amount as a normal human per day. I could feel my stomach crumpled up, and it felt like it was trying to ingest itself.

Nasuada had food brought to us, and I carefully fed the dragon, giving it bits of the dried meat. We both ate ravenously. The fruits brought for me weren't great, and I wistfully thought of strawberries, my favorite. But they only grew in Du Weldenvarden and in very few other places, and were very expensive. When I finished eating, I examined the dragon. I couldn't tell if it was male or female.

Hesitantly, I prodded its thoughts. It was feeling curious now, and it began to explore the room. I watched it, speaking to it the whole time.

_Careful. That desk doesn't look sturdy,_ I murmured into it's mind as it crawled under it. It didn't understand exactly what I said, but it understood the meaning. It let out a little chirrup, sending me thoughts of sleeping. Nodding, I picked it up and set it on my shoulder. It wrapped around my neck like a scarf and dozed off, making a sound a bit like purring and humming. Content feelings emitted from it.

I realized that everyone in the room had left, all except for Arya. She was standing in a corner, watching us. I opened my mouth to ask to speak with her, but she beat me to it.

"Come. Walk with me," she murmured, then started out of the tent. Sighing, I followed her. We walked to a pleasant glade in a small patch of forest, sitting on stones by a brook. I set my dragon down in the moss, then turned to her. We sat silently for a few minutes, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"Who are you?" she said quietly.

"Do you want an honest answer?" I asked. She gave me a slightly puzzled look, then nodded.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I?" she asked in return. That made me laugh.

"Some people would rather enjoy a nice fantasy with nothing bad in it. They would be content with a lie. A kind lie, but a lie nonetheless."

She nodded in agreement, but remained silent, inviting me to tell her my tale.

"Honestly, I am not sure who I am. I don't even know _what_ I am. I know so little about myself. Not my name, not my origin, not my family, not my race. I remember my past, but it tells me little."

"How old are you?" she intoned.

"One hundred and three," I answered, then jumped slightly. "T-that's odd. I never could remember my age," I said bewilderedly. She gave me a peculiar look, curiosity playing out across her features. I shook my head slowly.

"Strange. I am one and one hundred years. Are you sure that you remember all of your past?" she said hesitantly, choosing each word carefully. I frowned.

"Yes. But… Arya, have you ever had flashes of unfamiliar memories? Things that you know you should remember, but can't?" I paused, and she shook her head slowly. "Ever since I arrived in Surda, I have been plagued with strange visions. There has only been two so far, but I know there will be more soon to come. I know that they are from the past, and that I should remember them, but I know little other than that. Do you know what I have seen?" I said, watching her face carefully. She shook her head again.

"My first vision came to me when I first saw you, and I walked into the tent with Eragon and Roran." Shock rose up in her eyes. "I saw a young elf, not a year over seven, chasing butterflies. I grabbed her and swung her around, both of us laughing. Then she said, 'help me catch the butterflies.' She started to say more, but the memory ended. The little elf girl? It was you."

Arya blanched, but stayed quiet.

"My other memory occurred when I touched my dragon," I said, looking lovingly at it as it slept. "I envisioned Islandi staring down at me coldly. You were standing beside her, crying. You said, 'no mum, don't do that!'. Islandi said, 'I'm sorry, but I'm doing this for you. She isn't normal.' This upset you greatly, and you cried harder," I hesitated, seeing the memory again as I continued to describe it to Arya.

"_Don't do this. I'm not going to lie and say it was a mistake, but I will tell you that I didn't mean it to be this way. If you would have listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't be in this position. Look at poor little Arya. Would you do this to her?" I heard myself whisper. Islandi shook her head._

"_No. You will be gone by nightfall, and this will all be forgotten. That's a promise," she said, an almost mad glint in her eyes. I reached out to Arya, and she stuck a tiny hand out to me. I noticed a wet substance on my fingers, and something swirling around my hand..._

_Islandi slapped my hand away, snarling. "Do not touch her! Abomination!" she hissed._

I shuddered and paused again, shoving the memory away. "On my hand was swirling shadows, all over my skin like a living thing. And on my fingers was blood. Wherever the darkness touched, I felt Icy," I shuddered again, clenching my fists. I explained the feeling of Icy to her quickly, then stopped, shivering uncontrollably from feelings I didn't want to feel.

"What is happening to me?" I whispered, staring at the creek without seeing it. Arya stayed quiet for a moment.

"I do not know. I don't remember any of those memories. Are you sure that it was me?" she said slowly, pronouncing each word carefully. I nodded. Furiously, she spun around and punched a tree. The action surprised me. She had never seemed like someone who would loose their temper. I saw the scraped knuckles, saw her wince.

"What is this world throwing upon us? We, who have done nothing but struggle in life. We, who have faced our worst fears again and again. We, who have been shunned and hated and loved and adored. I fear, Azalia. I fear that Alagaësia is falling apart. Everything we have known is coming to an end. Why is the weight of the world upon us? What have we done to deserve this?" she exclaimed. I leaned back against the tree, rubbing my eyes.

"Forgive me, but we are both weary. We might be able to ponder this more successfully if we were well rested. I must sleep," I murmured. She suddenly looked exhausted, and nodded, sliding down her rock and sitting on the moss, her back against another tree.

"I don't know about you, but I need a bit of time off from my duties. I've already done too much for the world, it can survive without me for a few days," she declared, letting her eyes drift shut.

I glanced down at my dragon, who was just waking up. It cocked its head and looked at me, chirruping questioningly. It sent me an image of exploring the woods. I nodded, giving it feelings of agreement, but sent it an image of it staying inside the woods only. _Stay in the woods,_ I told it firmly. It squeaked in agreement, then clambered off.

Before I slept, I realized that I had forgotten to ask Arya or Eragon to heal my leg. I realized that if I did ask, then it would reveal my inability to use magic. But riders could use magic, and I was now a rider… no, it takes lots of practice to master magic. If I made a mistake, it could ruin my leg. I carefully re-cleaned the wound, wishing I could do more for it, and then left my pant leg rolled up to give the injury some air. It might let it heal faster.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and welcomed sleep.

_Eragon POV thing_

Eragon looked around the room, puzzled. Azalia and Arya had been in here when he left. Where did they go? He eyed the sandy ground for clues, but they walked too lightly to leave footprints. Cursing, he let his mind expand, feeling for them. But, as usual, he couldn't see their minds. A thought struck him; what if Azalia had done something to Arya? A trill of fear slipped through him.

_Peace. They might just be talking,_ Saphira suggested.

_About what? They could have talked in front of us. I don't like this. She shows up, attacks us and makes us swear allegiance to her, presents us with a dragon egg, leads us to believe the rider is Roran, has a seizure, reveals that she is the actual rider, then disappears with the dragon and Arya. This is getting too confusing, _he answered.

_They may have private things. She might know her. They are both elves, after all. An odd race, with many secrets. From the sound of it, Azalia has been out of commission for a long while. They're probably just catching up and sharing elf secrets or something,_ Saphira murmured, trying to comfort him. He just shook his head.

_But… I don't think she's elf. You know when she said that she was responsible for _Arget blodh_, and that I recognized it? The legends of _Arget blodh_ are terrible. Random deaths, marked with a strange symbol. Evandar himself was the one who discovered the first death and he was the only one who knew what the symbol meant. He was distraught, and swore to stop the attacks. Strange that he was so upset. There had been mystery murders like that before, but he had never been as upset as then. Continuing, Evandar never found out what happened until he was killed. The killings were famous because of Evandar's fascination with them; otherwise they would have been insignificant. Also, the killer was the one who killed many well-known people. The murders have continued, but less frequently. _Eragon sighed. _Now we have a mass murder that has disappeared with the sole heir to the elf throne, along with one of the last dragons and last hopes for the Varden._

_True. Say, if she isn't elf, then can she use magic?_ Saphira suggested. Eragon stood straighter, looking surprised.

_Good question! We may have found her one weakness… pity we can't tell anyone. It would be a violation of our oath._ Cursing, Eragon thought back to when she had threatened them all. It seemed like it was a very long time ago. _Why didn't I fight her? I just let her do it…_

_There was nothing we could have done. Don't worry yourself with it, little one. The past is the past, nothing we can do to change it. Dwelling on it doesn't get us anywhere, so let's concentrate on now, _Saphira counseled him. Nodding, Eragon looked around.

_We need to find them. How?_ he asked her. She gave a sort of shrug.

_I guess I could scent out the baby dragon. I can sort of smell it,_ she said hesitantly. Eragon nodded enthusiastically. She started walking slowly toward a small glade in the distance, Eragon following closely. They got closer to the glade, and Saphira paused.

_I smell blood,_ she rumbled. Eragon tensed.

_I don't care about my oath. I will break it, no matter what effects it has on me. Azalia must have harmed Arya, and I will kill her for it._

**((ta-daa!! Another cliffie:D lol. And for those of you who are scratching your heads right now (yes, you. I can see that) the blood Saphira smells is from Azalia's wound. I'll post again soon, promise! Luv ya all!))**

**-**Sam Who Is Very Upset With Her Boyfriend's Neglect Of Courage To Love Her-


	10. Hljödhr Anglát

_What's the look, the twist within this verbose mystery? _

_I would gladly bet my life upon it _

_At the cost of love your ray of light will fizzle out _

_Without hope _

_When the empty sand just flowing through our empty skin _

_Ever searching for what we were promised_

_Reaching for the golden ring we'd never let go_

_Who would ever let us put our filthy hands upon it?  
_

**((hey again, sry if this post is a little late :/ been really busy… stuff I can't type about. But anywho, don't worry about it, sit back and enjoy the show! O yea, and Eragon and Saphira discovered that Arya and my char were gone about three hours after they fell asleep. And happy thanksgiving! O and the song from last chaper was **Thanks for the Memories** by Fall Out Boy, and this song is **Miss Murder** by AFI))**

_Eragon POV thing_

_Eragon!_ Saphira scolded. _You can't break an oath like that! What would Brom say? Or Oromis? Would Arya want you to do this for her? She can fend for herself. Don't do this. It will destroy you!_ When he didn't answer, she tried a different tact. _Do you know what happens when you break a pledge in the ancient language?_ There was a pause while Eragon studied his sword's edge, missing Zar'roc.

_It will either kill me or destroy my mind or just cause me eternal pain,_ he replied. _But I'm willing to go through that for Arya. If she dies, then I will still go through the same ordeal._ Saphira huffed.

_What about me then? If you die, then I will surely go through the same, but with more pain. And if I survive, then madness will take me. You might want to put yourself through that, but are you willing to take me with you?_ Eragon froze. Saphira hated to resort to cruel reasoning like that, but it was her only remaining option. He just shook his head.

_You will survive. I think I could sever our mental connection if I honestly tried. Oromis taught me how to keep you alive if I died, along with a great many other things,_ he answered quietly. Saphira sighed, already planning to hold him down if he didn't listen.

_Fine, but at least watch first to see if she really is in danger,_ she growled. Nodding, Eragon crept forward, feeling Saphira slip behind his eyes to watch as her body hid behind a cluster of trees.

Carefully, he tiptoed up to the glade, all senses on alert. What he saw surprised him more than any torture.

Azalia was sitting with her back against a tree, apparently asleep. Beside a tree near her was Arya, in the same position. For a wild moment, he thought that there was two Azalia's. That struck him as odd.

Arya and Azalia didn't look too much alike, did they? But there were definitely similarities. They both had the same angular features, the same textured hair but in different colors, the same height, body build…

_They're both creatures of magic, both sort of elves,_ Saphira reminded him. He agreed, but couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something.

Then he noticed the wound in Azalia's leg. _What is that?_ he thought, astonished. He couldn't get a good look at it, and he didn't dare creep forward.

"_Atra eka_ _evarinya,_" he whispered, accessing the magic. Let me see. He blinked as he seemed to zoom forward, but his feet didn't move. It was strange, as if he was looking through a telescope. Carefully, he turned his enhanced gaze upon the dark hole in her leg, and almost gasped.

The wound looked like an arrow wound, and it went straight through her leg and out the other side. It looked like it had separated the flesh and muscle from the bone.

_If she had such a wound, why didn't she heal it?_ he wondered.

_I think that our theory was right; she doesn't have magic,_ Saphira murmured.

_Why didn't she tell us? Or at least ask Arya or me to heal it for her. Unless she just got the wound. Maybe Arya and she fought. It wouldn't surprise me if she got hurt but Arya didn't. Arya is an excellent swords…woman._

_She might have not wanted us to know that she couldn't use magic,_ Saphira reasoned. _It is very unlikely that they were fighting, and now napping side by side like sisters._

_True, but I'll still stay and watch for a while. I'll keep my eyesight like this so that I can get a distance away._

_Okay. You can come hid with me. There's a perfect view of them from here._

Nodding, Eragon started off to where she was.

_Azalia view after about an hour_

Yawning, I stretched, wondering why my legs were asleep. I opened my eyes and saw a beautiful forest scene. _What the... a glade?_ I wondered for a second. Then- _Oh. Riight, a glade_ I thought. I was in the forest with Arya. Everything from yesterday rushed back to me. I saw my dragon perched on my knee, staring at me curiously.

_Hello there,_ I murmured to it, wondering if it understood yet.

_Hi sleepy!_ it chirped back, startling me.

_You can talk already?_ I asked, surprised.

_Gee, what do you think?_ it said sarcastically. _It's not hard. All the words are in your head. I'm borrowing your vocabulary until I memorize all of the words. Surprising that nobody has ever thought of that before._

_Oh…_ I paused. _Are you a male or female?_ I asked hesitantly. It snorted.

_Male._

_Okay. Now you need a name…_ I began to suggest names to him. I laughed at Grrahg and Broshk, toying with Atticus. I liked Hveg'gar, but he outright refused.

_How about… Zeus?_ I asked him hesitantly. It was the name of one of the first dragons from across the sea. My dragon began to hum contentedly.

_Zeus…_ he muttered. _Yes, I am Zeus._

_Well then,_ I said, standing up. I bowed low. _Greetings, Zeus the Great,_ I laughed. He laughed along with me.

_So, I thought you would like to know that a youth with the features of a rough elf was watching us about an hour ago. Do you know who he might be? He's behind a thick patch of trees over there, crouched with a purple dragon,_ Zeus said, nodding to our east. I straightened as if I had been stung.

_What?!? _I exclaimed, fury breaking out across my face. I was careful not to look in the direction he had pointed. _That's Eragon, another dragon rider. He was the first of the new dragon riders. There are only five dragons left. You, Thorn, Shruikan, Saphira, and Glaedr. His dragon is Saphira, last female of your race._

Zeus froze, staring at me with wide, black, orblike eyes. _W-what? There's none left? I-I don't believe it,_ he stammered. I nodded slowly and sadly.

_I don't even know what my race or my name is, so I know how you feel. Guess we're loners,_ I murmured, momentarily forgetting about Eragon and gently setting Zeus around my neck.

_No, we have each other. There's got to be more of us. I can feel it. We'll find our people. Together,_ he said, an edge of defiance in his voice. I nodded, stroking him.

Seeing a sudden movement, I spun, hand on my sword. But it was just Arya, blinking blearily.

"Morning," I muttered, taking my hand off of my hilt and yanking my pant leg down over my arrow wound, wincing as the fabric brushed against it. She nodded, standing up and stretching.

"Eragon was spying on us," I growled. "He and Saphira are hiding over there." I jerked my head in their general direction. Her eyes flew open wide, and rage played out across her face.

"How much did he see?" she asked harshly. I shrugged and turned to Zeus.

_Not much. He came after you both fell asleep, otherwise you would have noticed him easily. He had his sword out, and he looked upset._

_He had his sword out? He can't harm me, though. Unless he was desperate enough to break his oath._

_Is it possible to break an oath in the ancient language?_

_Yes, just like it is possible to lie in the ancient language. But breaking an oath like that would be at a terrible cost. He would either die, go mad, or suffer eternal pain. It is a terrible thing, and it is usually not worth breaking the oath,_ I explained.

"Zeus says that he came after we both went to sleep, so he couldn't have seen anything. But he's watching us from his little outpost. He had his sword in hand, and was intent on harming one of us. Most likely me," I said, then proceeded to tell her the real story about why he, Roran, and Saphira were so quick to work with me. Her eyes widened a bit when I mentioned me being responsible for the _Arget blodh_ attacks, but she said nothing.

"I know it wasn't a very kind thing to do, but as soon as he realized who I am, he would never trust me. We are pressured enough by Galbatorix; I couldn't allow him to waste time and energy on me, nor I waste on him. It was the most logical choice," I said quickly when she opened her mouth.

"Yes, I understand where you're coming from. I don't like it, but it actually seems like the right thing to do. That hotheaded rider can be as narrow-minded as an ant sometimes," she spat suddenly, something in her voice that I couldn't decipher. I raised an eyebrow, and she sighed.

"He… pursues me often, putting me in tough positions. He loves me. I don't love him back, but only like him as a friend, nothing more, maybe even less. Once, he made a fairth of me. Oromis was convinced that I was scared, but I was anything but. I actually snuck into his rooms, intent on removing his desire from his mind, but that fool dwarf Orik was in there, drunk. He woke and saw me, and ran. I quickly cast a spell to put him to sleep, and twisted the memory so that it seemed like only a dream.

"Another thing he did was almost destroy seventy years of work," she spat. I looked at her, astonished. "He pledged himself to Nasuada, in front of the entire Varden. The only reason I was able to save my work, along with his life and Nasuada's was because I knew about it beforehand, and was able to cast numerous spells on the Council of Elders to keep them from hiring assassins and killing them. I don't think the Varden could survive another death, but the Council would do it out of pure spite.

"He is a danger to everyone, including himself, when he is around me. Eragon knows how much he is putting me through, but he thinks that everything will work out all right. But it won't," she said, speaking as if she was relieved to tell someone this. I nodded, staring sightlessly at the floor.

"Magic… he thinks everything can be solved by magic. What a humane concept," I snorted, snapping a twig over and over in my hands. "I can't do magic," I whispered suddenly, wanting her to know. Arya appeared startled.

"But you're a creature of magic, aren't you?" I nodded. "Then…" she broke off.

"Look. If I had magic, I would have taken care of this long ago. Could you fix it for me?" I asked quietly, pulling up my pant leg to show her the arrow hole. She paled.

"Barzul," she whispered. "How long have you had this injury?"

"Since I escaped from Uru'baen. A magician shot an arrow at me," I said. Her eyebrows met in puzzlement.

"An arrow? How did an arrow hit you from this angle if you were running away? And why didn't they chase after you with horses?" she asked, examining the wound.

_Oh boy,_ I thought.

"Well… about that… I can't show you right now, with Eragon watching," I stammered. She nodded, then gestured with her hand toward Eragon's hiding place. I heard a dull thump, then silence.

"There. I simply put them both to sleep. Also, I set up a barrier around this glade, so that none other than us can enter it, see it, hear it, and so on unless we give them direct permission," she said. "Now you can show me." I sighed, knowing that I couldn't get out of it.

Slowly, hesitantly, I extended my wings. She looked confused for a second, then realized what they were. Her eyes got huge, and she wobbled uncertainly on the spot. Her mouth opened slightly, and she put a hand against a tree to steady herself.

"_Wyrda,_" she whispered, still staring at my wings. The silver veins caught the light, while the blackness of the leathery skin seemed to repel it.

"May I?" Arya said, seeming to have composed herself, and gesturing to my wings. I nodded, and she walked forward. Slowly, she reached out a hand, as if she feared they would disappear. When they didn't, she slowly traced her fingers down the edge, examining the tiny thumb and claw on the top edges, the bone pattern barely visible through the thin fabric. The bones looked like a long, thin arm with elongated fingers, and the thumb sticking out the top, with a minute claw protruding, thin enough to stab but stout enough to claw.

"Wow," she sighed, inspecting them carefully. Finally, she backed away and sat on a rock. I tucked my wings back in, but not as tightly to allow them to have some fresh air for once. It felt strange to be sitting with someone, and my wings out. I thought that it was the first time I had ever shown them to someone with good intent.

_I stared down at little Arya, her staring at me with awe. I noticed that we weren't very different ages- she looked eight and I seemed to be only ten._

"_How did you come back? I thought mum banished you?" she whispered. I laughed quietly._

"_It wasn't hard. Look, I want to show you another reason that she sent me away. It's something else that makes me different. Look," I repeated. She stared at me, not understanding. Then I whipped out my wings, and she jumped back slightly. I laughed._

"_Look! All I did was fly here! Surprising that she doesn't expect me to come back," I said, giggling. She started laughing. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sat on the bed beside her, wrapping a wing around her. She petted it, amazed._

"_Wow," she sighed._

I jerked back to the current time. Arya was staring at me, puzzled. I took a few deep breaths.

"I just got another memory," I said. She quickly gained interest.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"I was staring down at you. You were only about eight, and I was about ten. You asked how I came back, because your mother had banished me. I said that it wasn't hard, and that I had to tell you the other reason that I was sent away. Something that made me different from everyone else. Then I showed you my wings, and told you that I had gotten back by flying. I told you that it was surprising that she didn't expect me to come back. I put my arm around your shoulder and my wing around you, and you were stroking the wingtip. You said 'wow' like you did just a minute ago, then it ended."

Arya stared at the ground, gritting her teeth. I could tell she was trying not to get upset like last night. "I have an idea, but you will not like it. I would be able to see traces of magic in your mind if someone did something to hold our memories back, and I might be able to break through. But I would have to enter your mind to do so," she explained hesitantly. I gaped at her.

"No, no, and no! I will not let anyone enter my mind. My mind is my only sanctuary, the only safe place I have. I will now allow anyone to invade it," I exclaimed, jumping to my feet. Arya laughed slightly.

"I thought not. Do you know how much you sound like Murtagh? He said the exact same thing when he arrived at Farthen Dur. Word for word," she said, chuckling. I winced at his name.

"He is right, for once. I have met him before my attack, and I thought him to be a bit shallow," I said. What I didn't say was that I had liked him and how he thought the same way I did, but with less depth. He enjoyed being evil, but he could also be good. He liked power and havoc, putting his life first. He reminded me of a younger version of myself, before I visited the elves and learned to respect life. Non-human life, I mean. I hate humans and their naive little ideas. I knew that they would bring the downfall of Alagaësia. Galbatorix's rule had only proved my point.

"He is shallow, isn't he? Now, before we go on, I would like to heal your leg. If you will allow me," she said, a hint of humor in her voice. I laughed.

"I guess you can," I replied. Nodding, she instructed me to stretch my leg out between two rocks. She spent a minute muttering in the ancient language and passing a hand over the wound. Then she looked up at me, worry written all over her face.

"Oh boy. I know that look. What's wrong now?" I groaned. She gave me a half-smile.

"Apart from everything in this world?" she said wryly. She got serious again. "You leg isn't just maimed. It seems like the arrow was poisoned, too. An old type of poison, long forgotten, seldom used because it takes so long, and is painless until the end. It is called the _Hljödhr Anglát,_ or silent death. It is almost undetectable, and it slowly numbs the area. That is probably why you have been able to function as well as you have with this injury, and why it hasn't even started to heal. Once the area is numbed, it takes about a month, spreading slowly, numbing the body until the entire body is paralyzed.

"Then, it takes a full day and painfully squeezes the life out of the victim's heart. Most people try to kill themselves before they get to this stage, but most are fully paralyzed before they realize what is happening. By then, they can't even move enough to kill themselves, or even cry out," she explained gravely. "The only known cure is just as rare and ancient. It is called the _Hvitr_ _Adurna_, or white water."

I sat silently for a moment, staring at the hole in my leg, trying to take it all in.

_We will find this Hvitr Adurna. Ask her where it is,_ Zeus suggested calmly. I took a few deep breaths.

"Where can we find this _Hvitr Adurna_?" I asked, my voice slightly shaky.

"The few places I know of it is from inside the Ra'zac lair, in Uru'baen, and from the Menoa tree. The easiest way would be to get it from the Ra'zac. Uru'baen is an impossibility, and to get the water from the Menoa tree, you would have to get some sap from the core. And none of the elves will allow anyone to harm the tree, poisoned or not," she replied gravely. "Also, from your memories, Islandi will not allow you to enter Ellesmera."

I nodded. "When Eragon and Roran go to the Ra'zac, I will accompany them."

"But Saphira can only fly three people max, and I'm going. And Zeus won't be old enough to ride by then," Arya said, looking puzzled for a second. I raised an eyebrow, and realization spread across her face. "You can't keep up with Saphira, can you?" she asked.

"I bet I could. I might have to hold onto her leg or something, but she will not have to bear the weight of a fourth."

_Where will I go? I can't keep up with Saphira,_ Zeus added.

_You can ride in my pack, or fly and hold onto my shirt._

_Okay._

I turned back to Arya. "So we must leave immediately. If I'm going to fight the Ra'zac, I can't be half-numb." She nodded, and we started out of the glade, stopping to wake up Saphira and Eragon. They jolted awake, cursing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see anything or hear anything! I didn't, honestly! _Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal!_ I just saw you sleeping and you talking, but I don't know what you said!" Eragon cried as soon as he saw us. ((**A/N- this means 'upon my word as a rider'**)) I snorted, and Zeus, who was on my shoulder with his tail around my neck like a priceless necklace, let out a strange hissing sound that I assumed was laughter.

"Quit groveling like a commoner. I know that you spied on us, but I'll berate you for that later. We need to go to the Ra'zac soon. Get Roran. We leave in an hour," I growled, already starting off toward the tents.

I packed my stuff in about a minute. I always keep everything ready-packed, in case of an emergency. Emergencies seem to happen around me. A lot.

The next fifty-nine minutes were agony. I had nothing to do, and neither did Arya. We sat and talked in the ancient language, Arya trying to get me to do magic.

"You're a rider now, so you should be able to use it," she said, levitating a pebble. I frowned and tried again, but there was no magic hidden inside my brain. I did find one thing, though- I found a barrier I hadn't noticed before, that I knew had all of the hidden memories behind it. It was maddening, knowing that your brain was refusing to show you all of your thoughts.

Finally, Eragon and Roran walked into the tent, laden with heavy packs. Eragon looked livid about seeing Arya and I talking without him again, but he didn't say anything.

"We're ready," Roran said, a look of anticipation and hunger upon his face. Arya and I nodded, getting up. I put Zeus on my shoulder again, and we got ready to go.

**((I don't want to go any farther, or it will be a cliffie. I probably won't post again for a day or two, so I don't wanna leave you guys with a cliff to jump off of. And…. something else I was gonna say…… but I can't remember what… whatever. And thanks to all of you who have reviewed, I don't have time to put ur names up, sorry! Hope you all had a great thanksgiving, Polo made delicious turkey. Mmmm… and school's starting again Monday :'( so I'm gonna be really busy.))**


	11. Touching Minds, Swords, Silver, and Gold

_I know you can't recall anything at all or why were're standing here. _

_The day you figure out your words had crumbled just below your feet._

_This is how a mountain gathers, purposely directed shadows. _

_This sinking ship has information that will tear us apart._

_Along the way we learn things too hard. _

_Whisper out the way to stop my heart._

_The things you used to say before the day I used to care at all._

_It's in the fingertips, I caught you looking; hazing down on me._

_This is how a mountain gathers, purposely directed shadows. _

_This sinking ship has information that will tear us apart._

_Along the way we learn things too hard. _

_Whisper out the way to stop my heart._

_Along the way we learn things too hard. _

_Whisper out the way to stop my heart._

_Along the way we learn things too hard. _

_Whisper out the way to stop my heart._

_Along the way we learn things too hard. _

_Whisper out the way to stop my heart._

**((yes, I'm aware that I put the whole song in here, but I think it kinda matches what's going on in the plot. Kinda songfic-ish. The song is **Arterial Black** by Drist. It can be found in Guitar Hero II Bonus Songs in the Shop. - yup, I'm another Guitar Hero fanatic. I start down to our basement where all of our games are set up (it's furnished- more like a game room than a basement, really,) and Dad say's that I'm going to get my Guitar Hero fix. Lol I just laugh and say 'call it what you will but you know that it's the best game EVER'. Haha. And sorry about not posting for a while again, I had a week's worth of homework crammed into two hours Sunday night. All of the stuff I procrastinated from Thanksgiving break was stuffed into that time. Ugh. But anywho, just read and review plz. I saw that I only got one review for last chapter :( it made me sad. Try to check this every two days or so, I post often.))**

_Third Person View_

Eragon walked in on Arya and Azalia talking again. He was furious. What were they keeping from him? He thought that they were talking about him because they always stopped talking when he came in. It wasn't like he wasn't trustworthy or anything, so why couldn't they tell him? Azalia looked frustrated, and Arya looked worried.

His thoughts were interrupted when Roran waved a hand in front of his face.

"Hey. You there? I said we're ready to go. We need the dragon rider to take us on his dragon," he said, staring at him curiously.

Roran was worried about his cousin. He seemed to really spend a lot of time with Arya, but now Azalia was taking up all her time. He was always trying to join in with them, but they treated him like a little kid who was following them around. He didn't like them much, all of their elvish secrets and superiority. He wished he could challenge them to a fight, show them who was superior, but he knew that as long as they were allies, he couldn't do such a thing.

Turning around, Eragon strode quickly out of the tent without a word. Roran followed him tersely, while Arya and her fellow creature exchanged a look before exiting the tent.

Eragon walked straight up to Saphira and began putting the packs on without a word.

_What troubles you, little one?_ she asked gently, nosing him.

_Doesn't matter,_ he grumbled, continuing to loop the packs around her neck and spines, tying them in complex knots to keep them in place.

_It's the new creature and Arya, isn't it? It's okay to tell me._

_Fine. They keep so many secrets from me. I'm trustworthy, aren't I? What is it they can't tell me?_ he snapped suddenly, yanking on a strap._ And I don't trust this new girl, she leaves more unsaid then said. She is hiding much, and she seems unstable, like she's going to throw a punch for no reason. Her face goes blank, and she stares at thing only she can see. She comes out of nowhere with a dragon egg, attacks us, and asks to be our friend. She is evil, I know it._

_I believe you more than you know. She is a walking cannon, ready to explode at any moment. All we can do is stay on her good side and stay cautious._

_I know. But what can I do about Arya? She knows more of Azalia or whoever she is than anyone, and seems to know of her darkness more than you or I. But she still spends all her time with her, acting like…_ Eragon broke off, searching for an appropriate word.

_She acts like you and Murtagh used to be,_ Saphira murmured. Eragon winced.

_Yes, and look how that turned out. We ended up to be brothers, and try to kill each other. I don't want the same thing to happen to Arya. But she is an only child, I asked her myself, _he added firmly.

_Nothing is as it seems. Do not trust in words or actions. Do not trust anyone but those closest, and even keep an eye on them,_ she advised.

_Yes. But I don't have to keep an eye on you, do I?_ Eragon laughed. _I don't have enough eyes for that. You'll have to help._

_Of course. I'm insulted that you think I wouldn't,_ she teased, internally sighing with pleasure. She always knew how to get him happy again.

Eragon finished with the packs and turned to the small group behind him. Roran was staring into the distance, rubbing his thumb over his hammer while Arya and her fellow creature of magic whispered inaudibly. Then he spotted a problem.

"Hey, wait a minute. How are we all going to fit on? Saphira can only carry three max, and the dragon counts as a person. What now?" he asked. Azalia stepped forward, then hesitated, exchanging a glance with Arya.

_My character view_

I stepped forward to explain my plan when I saw a fatal mistake. I cursed silently for missing such a simple and important mistake. I couldn't let them find out about my wings. I glanced at Arya, and from the look on her face, she had just noticed the same thing.

"I- I'll run," I offered, then swore in my head.

_Hey, easy down,_ Zeus muttered. _I've got an idea. Is there a spell that can make a person become invisible?_ he asked. My eyes brightened.

_No, but I have a plan that might work. I just have to speak with Arya silently for a moment, and ask her to do a small spell for me._ He agreed, then I felt him reach out to Arya silently. They conversed for a moment, then I felt Arya touch my mind. I shivered at the contact, fighting back an instinct to pull away. But before either of us could say anything, something burst through the barrier in the back of my mind.

_I stood loosely, the cold hilt of my sword casually dangling from my hand. An opponent stood opposite of me, holding a golden blade, crouching slightly in a fighting pose. The blood of a dragon dripped from my sword, and my enemy seemed to be favoring one of his arms slightly, as if it was feeling a distant pain. His face was blurry, though everything else was in the harsh clearness of Icy. I laughed at his naivety, thinking that he could beat me. Nobody had beaten me, even though I was incredibly young. Ten years and counting. An unbidden instinct told me that it was before the vision of Islandi casting me away, but after the happy moments with Arya._

"_Don't do this," he said smugly. "You can't beat me. I have faced all and survived, let alone a young ten-year-old, her blade almost as big as she is." I just smiled and tossed my curly golden brown hair over my shoulder, tucking it behind pointed ears._

"_Fool. I will spare you, but only because of your mother's protection. Lucky you have her, or you wouldn't live long, going around challenging your masters and elders to a duel," he said, letting out a fake chuckle. Still, I remained silent, staring up at him with big, golden hazel eyes that matched my hair perfectly._

"_Fine then. But know that this is your entire fault," he whispered in what he evidently thought was an evil tone. It sounded like he was choking on an almond. Finally, I opened my mouth, speaking around perfect white teeth and rosy lips._

"_No. It is _your_ fault. Think of Arya when you are lying in your own blood and defeat," I whispered barely audibly. He snarled, which looked like he was sucking on a lemon and sounded like he still had that nut in his windpipe. I just laughed as he lunged, stepping aside at the last moment. He spun around, taking a full second, and charged me again. _

_This time, he stretched his arms out to stop me from sidestepping, but I just jumped over him, soaring a full five feet in the air. I landed just in time for my bare heel to hit his passing toe, just enough to knock him off-balance. He crashed into the ground, rolling into a tree._

_Still, I laughed. I hadn't even attacked him yet, and he was losing already. I hadn't lifted my sword yet. He roared in what he apparently assumed was a manly way and whirled his blade at me. We began a dance, for no other word could describe it. He slashed, wove, and stabbed, but I still refused to lift my blade, dodging and ducking. He spun, I spun. He riposted, I ducked. He tried every method he had, but still I remained a hairsbreth out of his reach. _

_A web of gold separated the narrow space between our lithe forms, blurring almost out of vision. But still I dodged, still he swung, still his face remained just blurred enough to stay unrecognizable._

_Still, I laughed._

_Finally, I moved a moment too slow. His blade cut through my hair, and it suddenly fell straight, darkening slightly and reddening a bit. Then, for the first time, I lifted my blade to meet his. A shrieking sound, metal on obsidian, echoed through the woods. His contorted face paled as I began my first attack._

_I spun in a complex sequence around him, using the hilt and sheath as much as the blade. The swords didn't screech anymore, but sparks flew like bloody rain upon our spinning figures. I blocked the flat of the blade with my forearm, angling it so that the blade didn't cut the skin, but slid off harmlessly._

_Minutes passed. The opposing elf began to sweat, his pupils mere specks as he struggled to stay in sync with me. I wasn't laughing, but still slightly chuckling as our blades met again and again. As much as he tried, nothing he could do passed my defense. I had long since landed a long scratch down his leg, and had snapped a few fingers when he failed to retreat from a stab._

_I landed my blade on his left shoulder, where it made his arm go limp. Blood seeped through his shirt, mixing with the absorbed sweat. The air stank of salt and blood and hard breathing and fear. I grew bored, and decided to end it quickly. _

_Right before I did it, I wondered briefly why he hadn't done the same thing earlier. My lips parted, and his eyes widened as he realized his fate._

"_Arget blodh!" I cried, pointing my sword at him. He convulsed, dropping to his hands and knees. I watched contemptuously as his skin turned grey, then silvery. I knew what was happening- I had done it many times before. His blood was changing into silver, clogging his veins, killing him with his own life force. It was a painful way to go, and the resulting body usually had a cruel humor to it. More beautiful in death than in life was ironic. _

_Still, I laughed. He drew a ragged breath._

"_Brakka let blodh," he whispered with what was supposed to be his last breath. It was my turn to feel fear. It wasn't much fear, only a slight bit. A small trill slipping through me, like I had swallowed an ice cube whole. His silver taint faded, but he still was white as a ghost. He looked older, weaker. He stood shakily, and I curled my lip, readying myself to cast the fateful spell again._

_With a wild cry, he launched himself at me, swinging his sword. It was a low thing to do, something I would think of, to attack someone midspell, when their concentration was elsewhere. I tried to lift my sword, but too late- his blade nicked my neck, drawing a drop of blood. I started to laugh again, but it stopped in my throat. I felt a burning sensation rip through my body, like it was _my_ blood being replaced, but with fire. A scream, not unlike the one from when our blades first met, rent the air. I dimly realized it was from me._

_With my rapidly fading senses, I felt twin daggers plunge into my shoulder blades. My eyes felt red-hot, and I noticed that the blanket-like mist clouding my mind was cutting a large part off from the rest of my brain. Suddenly, the wall it had formed disappeared, as if it had never been there, leaving only a sense of foreboding._

_Just before my vision faded, I saw my enemy's face go blank, and he convulsed slightly, as if he had been crippled from the silver in his blood. His golden sword fell from his hand, just as the roar of a dragon echoed through the forest._

I inhaled deeply, gasping. That had been my longest memory yet, and the most frustrating. Why couldn't I recognize him? It was strange, how his emotions and face was clear, but I couldn't recognize him. Slowly, I looked at Arya. She had her eyes closed and was breathing just as hard.

_Whoa! What happened there?_ Zeus asked, watching me with a beady eye. I didn't bother to explain, just tugged his consciousness toward all of my thoughts of the lost memories. He quickly absorbed the information, and then puffed a swirl of smoke.

I glanced at Arya again, who's eyes were wide, and she seemed to be leaning toward the tent slightly, and she waggled her eyebrows meaningfully. Nodding, I ignored Roran, Eragon, and Saphira's astonished stares and started for the tent, Arya right behind me. We stepped in, and both sat down on hard chairs.

"What just happened?" she asked quietly, staring at the floor.

"Another memory, that's what happened. Did you see it?" I said, staring at her intently. Slowly, she nodded.

"I had just touched your mind, and suddenly I was facing that man with the gold sword. He fought you. I was inside you, seeing what you see, feeling what you feel," she hesitated, then blurted out:

"I think that was Oromis."

**((sorry if it's short, it's five pages on Microsoft word. :) don't hate me too much for the cliffie. PLEASE review!! I'll post again as soon as possible, but it probably will be a day or two. Got a ton of homework still… why do I procrastinate like this… grrr…))**


	12. Ra'zac Part I: Green is for Disguise

And on the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality;

_And on the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality; _

_All alone in desperation, now the time has gone. _

_Lost inside you'll never find, lost within my own mind,_

_Day after day this misery must go on! _

_So far away we wait for the day, _

_For the light source so wasted and gone,_

_We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days, _

_Through the fire and the flames we carry on!_

**((I'm so so so sorry that I haven't posted in so friggin long! I've been such a slacker, sorry! I'm not going to bother giving u all the reasons and excuses. Just enjoy and review!))**

--

_Eragon POV_

I looked on as Azalia and Arya walked off quickly. Zeus followed them quickly, and I was sure that he was peppering them with questions. Unless he was in on it too.

_This is horrible. Even the hatchling is in on this. I can't do this anymore. I'm going to figure this out,_ he fumed.

_No Eragon, you shouldn't pry. It's their affairs only,_ Saphira responded. Eragon tried not to snarl.

_Why? Did they tell you and you can't share with me? Is it like what Brom did?_

_Eragon!_ Saphira cried, fixing him with a hard glare. _Do not soil Brom's memory because you are feeling spiteful. Save it and take it out on the Ra'zac._

_All right, but can you at least tell me if they told you something?_

_They have told me nothing that you do not know. But if they were to, then it would be breaking the oath to tell you what they said. We do not age like others, Eragon,_ Saphira said solemnly. _Two years can pass in a blink._

Roran interrupted their thoughts. "What's going on? I'm about sick of dragons and otherworldly creatures. No offense, Saphira, but I just want to live in peace with Katrina." Eragon gave him a sad smile.

"There's not going to be any peace until Galbatorix is dead. And then we can all live happily," he reminded Roran.

"But for this peace, does Azalia have to die too?"

_My character POV_

I stared at her, aghast.

"But… that would mean that I'm responsible for his dragon, and I'm responsible for his disability! Did I do that?" I gasped. Arya shook her head slowly, still in shock.

"I knew that you were describing these… memories, but I had no idea," she muttered. "It has to be Oromis. He's the only one with a gold sword like that, and that was his face. Even through the blur, I recognized him. Also, I've dueled him before, and I recognize his techniques and ways of moving."

"Great. So much for my brilliant idea to help join with the elves. This screws everything up. I like being evil, but not when I'm trying to be good,"

"You like being evil?" Arya asked.

"Of course. Its much more fun, you should try it sometime. There's no rules, you get to do what you want, you get free reign, and you get whatever you want…" I trailed off. Talking about it wasn't helping. I had actually been feeling proud of how good I was being, and now this. It was really scaring me that I didn't have any control over my own mind.

"No," she said, but she didn't look very firm on the topic.

_We need to get back to the others. They're already getting upset. I can sense Saphira's confusion, and through her, I can feel that Eragon is very angry,_ Zeus put in. I nodded.

"Don't say anything to anyone. We have to keep this secret," I said, exiting the flap. Then I stopped. "Oh, Arya, can you do a spell for me?" She nodded. "I'm… I'm going to fly behind Saphira. I'll hold onto her tail or something. She is sworn to me for the time being. I could make her not tell anyone. I need you to do a spell on Eragon and Roran so that they can't see me. Is it possible?" I asked. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, but I need to do it through your mind. You are the one with the control over them, so it should be you to do the spell. But since you are unable to do it yourself…" she trailed off, not needing to repeat. I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped. I had just entered her mind, so she had the right to enter mine. Even though I hadn't seen anything, I still thought she was allowed to enter mine.

There was a connection between us that I didn't know yet, but I could still feel it. I felt like we were old best friends, but I didn't remember her. I still didn't know weather our connection was a bad thing or a good thing, like if I had killed someone close to her or something.

Slowly, I nodded. She looked surprised.

"You're agreeing?" she asked, bemused. I nodded again. "Well… Okay," she murmured.

Slowly, I felt a tiny prickle in my head. I could tell that she was being careful not to hurt me.

_Don't worry about harm, just do it quick,_ I told her. Zeus looked from me to her quickly. I felt her emit feelings of agreement, and then she plunged in. I winced slightly, but I had felt far worse before.

The hardest part was letting her take control. It was only long enough for her to speak the words, but I didn't know if I could do it. She started taking over my vocal controls, and I fought for a moment instinctively. Then I realized what I was doing, so I shoved back my instinct and allowed her control.

It was unbelievably scary, feeling your body move, but know that you're not moving it. You realize that you have no control over your own actions. You don't choose when to breath or blink. Plus, there's a stinging pain inside your head from the intruder's presence. You can't even open your own mouth to scream. But all that happened was words trickling from our mouth.

"Atranosu waíse vardo fra eld theirra kópa," we muttered. Let me be warded from their eyes.

Then Arya was pulling out of my mind. But she hesitated.

_Do you want me to check for that barrier in your mind that hides those memories?_ she asked.

_Okay_ I answered quickly. She extended a probe, and I directed it to the curtain in my head. She drove at it, whispering words of the ancient language, but nothing happened. And she was out.

I looked at her as her eyes pulled into focus.

"I cannot break the boundary. It is an old kind of barrier, one that can only be broken by the creator, or the creator must die," she explained. I nodded.

"The person who made the shield was most likely an elf to be able to use that much power. Either that, or it was a rider. But the only riders would be Oromis and Galbatorix. Galbatorix wouldn't do that. His style would be to just kill me instead. Oromis didn't because I had broken him, and he couldn't perform magic on me. It must be an elf," I mused.

"This elf must also be older than you, and have some kind of bond with you to perform that level of magic. That is why that boundary is seldom used. The elf must either be a soulmate, a relative, or an extremely close friend," she added. I nodded.

_We must be going,_ Zeus reminded us. I nodded again.

"Arya, you are to tell them that I had already started off running. I will speak to Saphira, and bid her not to tell about me," I said as we headed toward the rest of our rescue group.

It was very strange, standing by people who couldn't see me. To test, I waved my hand in front of Roran's face. It just made me feel stupid when he didn't see anything.

"Where did Azalia go?" Eragon said. He said my name the same way he would say 'worm' or 'vomit'.

"She is going to run since Saphira can only carry three of us. When we get Katrina, we will stop at a village to buy horses. We don't have to rush back, but we need to get there quickly. The Ra'zac might kill Katrina, so the sooner the better," Arya said calmly. I was surprised how smoothly she could lie. Eragon took the news just as smoothly, and I saw him perk up a bit. I felt empathy for Arya; what moves would he try to pull over her now? Roran nodded curtly and climbed onto Saphira, Eragon and Arya following. Zeus was in my pack, curled among my blankets. I sucked in a deep breath. It was now or never.

_Saphira?_ I said into her mind. She started slightly. _Saphira, I command you not to tell Eragon or Roran. I also forbid you to do anything, directly or indirectly, to lead to them finding out that I am with you._ She froze, and I could practically hear her mind searching for a way around my order.

_What are you doing?_ she asked warily, giving in.

_I can't run all the way and keep up with you. I have much better plans. I'm going to fly behind you. And you can't see me because of a spell I cast upon you all, using the oath you swore to me._

_Fine. Wait, fly behind me? Zeus isn't near old enough to fly,_ she said, puzzled.

_I know. I demand you to not speak of this to anyone, nor signal, indirectly tell them, or directly. Do not let anyone know about this, or even give them clues. If you let them guess it on their own, it is also breaking the oath,_ I said, drawing upon their bond to me again.

_Okay, but I can't keep something that I don't know a secret. What is it?_

_I am going to fly behind you using my own means. But I can't go as fast as you, so I need to hold onto your tail or something. You won't be supporting my weight, though,_ I explained quickly, skirting around the subject of my wings.

_Not my tail, I need that for steering. You can hold onto my leg, though. Might I ask how you are planning to fly?_

_Yes to the holding on part, and no to the flying interrogation._

_Sounds fine to me. Does Arya know of this?_

I hesitated, debating on weather it was safe to tell her. _Yes._

_Strange you tell an elf courier about your secrets, but not the only female dragon in existence, _Saphira mused. I stayed silent, and she huffed with slight frustration. _Fine. Don't tell me._

_I won't,_ I told her cheerily. She waited a moment as I readied myself, then I jumped into the air.

Twelve feet of black and silver wings beat down on the air. Ninety pounds of muscle, skin, flesh, belongings, and hollow bones rose into the sky. I couldn't help but smirk down at Saphira, Eragon, and Roran. Arya could still see me, and I saw her subtly smirk back.

_Okay, start up,_ I instructed Saphira. I couldn't grab on while she was on the ground. She needed her legs to push off.

She silently agreed, then began flapping. A moment later, she was airborne, rising up beside me. Without hesitating, I grabbed onto her leg. I could feel her suppress a shudder. It was likely an uncomfortable feeling, someone grabbing you and you can't see them.

It was easier than I thought to keep my weight off her. I was in her slipstream, like ducks in an arrow pattern. Just like that, we were off to find the Ra'zac, rescue Roran's girl what's-her-face, and get me my antidote.  
At the thought of the poison, my leg burned slightly. I took a slow breath, fighting to stay calm. _It's fine. I'm going to be fine,_ I told myself silently.

After about an hour's flying, we soared over Melian.

_We are going down now,_ Arya said into my mind. I found that I wasn't shuddering away from the contact as much anymore. _We could get there easily now, but the sun is setting. We don't want to face them at night, and we need all of our strength._

I agreed silently, letting go of Saphira as she began to descend. I turned and wheeled backward a ways, then landed. A thought struck me.

_Arya? How do I get the spell off?_ I asked. She paused.

_I should be able to remove it. It's a good thing I didn't put a spell on you, or we would be stuck,_ she said. Though I couldn't do magic, I knew a fair amount about it. Distance, for an example. I knew distance affected magic. If the caster was far away from where they were directing the spell, it would take three times the energy.

A moment passed, then Arya said, _Done. Come on, we're ready._

I am not quite an elf, but I do have their speed. I ran to their camp, keeping a fast and hard pace. I was at the camp in about a minute, slowing and eyeing the pot over the fire. Eragon was dropping potatoes, herbs, and a few other vegetables into it, and a lovely aroma was filling the camp. It was a good place, a shallow cave into a large rock formation.

"Nice spot," I commented. Eragon just grunted. He seemed like he was in a bad mood, so I moved on to Arya. Roran looked a bit green and shaky from the flight, and I gave him a slight sympathetic smile/smirk as I walked by.

"How was the flight?" I asked her, walking with her toward a small hill of boulders.

"Fine. Not much happened," she shrugged. "How was yours?"

"Same. It wasn't as hard as I'd thought."

"And your leg?" she whispered as soon as we were out of earshot from the men.

"Not much has changed. It hurts and burns a bit, but it's mostly numb." I would've rather had it hurt than be numb. With my metabolism, the poison would take me out in a week. Already, my entire calf was senseless.

"We need to figure something out. It seems like such a small thing, but it's been nagging at me this whole time…" she broke off, lost in thought. I paused a moment, picking up a thick, blunt stick and peeling the rotten bark off, waiting for her to continue.

"So… what is it?" I prodded. She blinked, then shook her head to clear it.

"Sorry. I just can't help but worry. Why was the egg painted? Why bother to paint an egg, then give it back to the empire? What's wrong with a black and white egg?" she muttered.

"I have no idea," I mumbled back. Then, without warning, I swung the stick at a rock, shattering the branch. I felt the shock rip through my arms, saw the bleeding splinters in my hand.

_An ancient elf stood on a dias, surrounded by elves. She was so old, she almost looked her age. Her hair was more white than gray, and her eyes were an electric blue, shocking whoever dared stare into them. Though her skin was smooth and free of wrinkles, something about her face made everyone feel like a child in comparison. A hand with thin fingers and pale fingers raised; silence fell accordingly. A moment passed, not a sound disturbing the still air. Then, the ancient one spoke:_

"_I have looked and I have seen."_

_The area became quiet again, then all of the elves spoke at once, a gentle murmur like humble subjects in a church echoing the pastor's words._

"_We look."_

_As soon as the last syllable finished, every elf present witnessed a sight, but through their mind's eyes instead of their physical ones._

_They saw an elf with hazel hair and eyes, teeth too sharp and face too malicious. She reached out a cautious hand, and touched a white and black dragon hatchling. A flash, then a gedwëy ignasia was burned onto her palm._

_The scene rippled, and another one replaced it. The same elfish creature stood valiantly on a desolate plain, her blade standing on its tip in front of her. The blade was standing on its own- no, it was stuck into something. A body. Slightly pointed ears, dark hair, and his face was turned away, so only the back of his head was visible… the man had one hand clutching the blade, and the other was thrown out to the side. The outstretched arm twitched slightly, and the girl's eyes narrowed. It became evident that the man was experiencing extreme pain. He thrashed and writhed around the blade. A pleased smile crept across the girl's sculpted lips. On the man's hand was a gedwëy ignasia of his own._

_The man and girl faded, and a last vision crept up. The girl laughed as she stood over a male elf. He was crouched on the ground, his golden sword lying useless beside him. The bright blade looked electrifying in contrast to his silvery-gray skin. He trembled, then whispered something inaduble. The color leeched back into his skin as he stood. He looked much older and withered than he had a moment ago. Far away, the roar of a pained dragon could be heard._

_The vision dimmed, and was replaced by fire. No, ice. Then water. God! We're being buried alive! The heat, it's too much…_

_The elves returned to themselves. On the dias, the ancient elf slowly opened her eyes. Without a command, the anxious whispering stopped._

"_We hope you have looked well. That is the one who will destroy Alagaësia. Fear her, hate her… love her, take care of her. Destroy her. Keep her alive." The ancient elf's voice had lowered to a hiss. "She is not. All that is, is she…"_

_Without another word, the old prophet slowly hobbled away, off the dias and into the woods…_

I jolted back to present, but only to be drawn into another memory before my eyes could focus.

_Islandi paced angrily in her rooms. A nervous elf was sitting on a bed. Likely a friend of Islandi._

"_Why would she do this to me? She should not have shared that with the entire elf population, just for me to hear in gossip!" Islandi exclaimed._

"_I'm not exactly sure. She is getting old, very old even for our standards… her mind is fraying," the other elf suggested gently. Islandi snorted._

"_Sahria, I would have thought you would be able to come up with something better than that. Even ancient ones remember their queen is their first confidence. She should've come to me first."_

"_What's done is done. What will we do to try and correct it?"_

"_Galbatorix has likely found out by now. He will try and find the white egg, and get it to the girl," Islandi said. "We must take measures to keep the white egg from him. But… I see that he will get the egg, despite our efforts. We must conceal it…"_

_The room pulled away into the distance until it was nonexistent._

This time, when I came back, I did not slide into another memory. I vaguely remembered that I hadn't been there at those scenes. I'd scryed them, using a strong connection to Ellesmera to see inside.

"I… I saw that," Arya whispered, her voice filled with quiet excitement. "Last time, I must've tapped into your memories. I was seeing it from your point of view. The egg was painted…"

"So Galbatorix wouldn't know it was the white egg," I supplied.

"…And wouldn't get it to you!" Arya finished. "There's part of the mystery done. We'll figure out more of it in a while. I'm tired, and hungry. Let's go back to the camp; Eragon's cooking is actually very good," she suggested. I nodded and followed her back.

Eragon

I angrily stirred the soup, sloshing a bit over the edge and into the fire, smoldering it a bit.

"Brisingr," I muttered, and the fire flared up. Too hot. It burned my hands a bit, and I fell backwards.

_Anger doesn't accomplish much,_ Saphira observed. I grumbled and pushed myself back up.

_Something on your tail?_ she asked.

_No._

_It's Azalia again,_ she acknowledged. It was more of a statement than a question.

_Has she shared any secrets?_ I shot back. She blinked slowly, turning to observe me with a large eye.

_You need to settle down and stop being paranoid._

_I-_ I broke off as Arya and Azalia returned to the camp. Roran noticed, and his face flushed with something other than airsickness. He jumped to his feet and went to meet them. I didn't need to have magic and extra senses to tell he was angry about something.

He marched toward Azalia and grabbed her elbow, pulling her back to the rock formation she'd just come from.

"We need to talk," I heard him growl. She gave him an amused look, but obliged. She linked her arm through his and walked gracefully beside him. He looked scraggly and mangy, like an uncivilized nomad beside her predatory grace and beauty. I smirked, then turned back to the soup.

Azalia

I strode off with Roran, resisting the urge to pick his mind. We reached the rocks, and I sat down on one.

_Careful,_ Zane whispered into my mind from his crevice he'd been sleeping in, back at the camp.

"So? What's on your mind?" I said sweetly. He glowered at me.

"You. You and Arya, always running off with your dragons and elves and shit," he snarled with surprising anger. I raised my eyebrows, but he wasn't finished. "You think you're so great, creeping away to talk with Arya about something-or-other, leaving me and Eragon in the dark. Why do you have to come along, anyway? You're just slowing us down, running like this. Eragon and I can take care of ourselves. These Cha-sac aren't a problem, we can take them easy. Hell, I could take you easy."

"Ra'zac."

"What?"

"It's Ra'zac, not Cha-sac," I said. Then I let the full depth of my anger blossom.

In an instant, I was in his face.

"Do you think you could ever out run me?"

Next moment, I was in his mind.

_Do you think you could ever out think me?_

Then I was smashing my foot into a rock beside him, my anger doubling my strength. The rock cracked erratically, falling apart in large chunks.

"Do you think you could ever fight me?"

I was back in his face again, a mere centimeter away from his throat, my sharp teeth brushing the skin in a potentially deadly kiss. I could feel his life, so thin and fragile, mere millimeters away. I could take his life in an instant, using no more energy than it would take to blink an eye, and would think nothing of it.

"Do not make an enemy of me, Roran Stronghammer," I murmured. The way I said his name was the same I would if I said 'kull' or 'empire'. "If you do, you won't be an enemy for long."

With that, I spun and walked back to camp without a backward glance. My strong hearing told me he was frozen, standing beside a shattered rock in a desolate plain.

**((I'm trying not to give you a cliffie. My posting has been terrible lately, and I'm not sure when I'll get back to this. I tried to make it long for you, though. I've moved on to bigger and better things; writing an actual book. Not a fanfiction or a roleplay plot or a challenge, a real story, all mine. I have a status section in my profile, if you're ever thinking, **_**where is redfeatherz?**_** You can just check there, and I'll try my best to update it as often as possible.))**


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